Akagami Shiro Neko
by HarmfulLiesKillerTrth
Summary: Both a loving mother and a Captain of the Marines, Elle thought she had a peaceful life. That is, until she was assigned a mission from Fleet-Admiral Sengoku. This mission will force her to confront her past, driving her into the arms of the only man she had ever loved, but who had brutally broken her heart. ShanksXOC, Mild OCXDoffy
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: And here's the first chapter of my_ One Piece _fic,_ Akagami Shiro Neko _! This takes place right after the battle of Marineford, right before Sengoku retires. So, I guess, during the Time Skip. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Please rate and review, tell me what you think, ya know the drill._  
**

 ** _~Shini_**

* * *

 _She ran as fast as she could, deftly leaping over fallen logs and large bushes that blocked her path. She had to get as far away as she could. This was her only chance to escape, to survive. When her careless attendant had left the door to her cage unlocked, she hadn't hesitated. She sprung out of it, running towards the open window even as she slipped on the smooth floor. Curses trailed her, but they didn't catch her as she tumbled out of the window and into the forest outside. She had landed hard enough to knock the wind right out of her, but that didn't stop her from pushing to her feet and running. Alarms sounded behind her, soon followed by the sounds of pounding feet. She pushed herself faster, running so hard that she felt like her heart was about to burst from her chest._

 _She tripped over a hidden root, twisting her ankle. She let out a small mewl of pain, but didn't stop running. Something tugged at her, urging her to turn right. Soon, she was running on soft sand instead of hard dirt. The sudden change surprised her, but she just closed her bright eyes and pushed herself more. When her head ran into something hard, it shocked her enough to stop running. Tears welled in her eyes as she fell backwards, and she started to whimper. It was too late. They had caught her. She would be punished for her escape attempt. But that didn't mean she had to go back easily. She took a deep breath and bared her teeth, hissing as the pale fur along her spine stood up, making her appear larger than she really was._

 _The deep chuckle that assaulted her ears caused her hiss to stop abruptly. Strong hands gently grabbed the scruff of her neck, picking her up off the ground. "Lookee, here, men," a strange voice said, "seems we've caught a little lost kitten."_

 _She was so shocked at the gentleness radiating off of the man holding her that she couldn't hold her form. Abruptly, she went from a small white kitten to a small young girl. Her long hair was as pale as snow, falling almost to her knees. Her eyes were still that of a cat, slit pupils surrounded by pale yellow. She bared her teeth at the man still holding her, showing sharp fangs, as her ears, still those of a cat, pivoted on top of her head._

" _Or, rather, a lost little girl."_

 _The man grinned widely, the sun shinning behind him shadowing part of him from her gaze. What she could see was a large bushy mustache, a large frame covered in a bright red Captain's jacket. The men surrounding him smelled strongly of alcohol and the sea. They were sailors of some kind. As her eyes scanned them, she knew that they weren't part of the Navy. None of them wore the white and blue uniforms. Seeing this, she relaxed. Not part of the Navy meant that they were safe. The man noticed this and gently sat her down in the sand. Her legs wobbled slightly, but she managed to keep standing. Without even realizing it, her hand snaked out and tightly grasped the man's coat. She took a deep shuddering breath and tears welled in her eyes. For the first time in her short life, she felt safe._

 _That is, until she heard crashing in the woods behind her. Her shoulders stiffened and she started to shake. They had found her! Of course they had! She could never truly hide from them. The man she was holding tightly to frowned down at her before glancing back at the forest. Quickly, he reached down and scooped her up. She let out a small squeak of surprise, but didn't struggle as the man handed her off to two young men. One had bright red hair covered by a straw hat. The other had bright blue hair and a red nose. The man who passed her off said something to the two boys and they nodded. The red-head took her and tightly held her to his chest. He quickly started walking away from the group right as several men spilled out of the forest. The bluenette quickly stepped behind the red-head, blocking her view of the men._

 _They stepped into a small boat and were quickly rowed out to a much larger ship. She had never been on one before, and the subtle rocking made her stomach feel weird. The red-head set her down before crouching in front of her. He grinned widely and brushed some of her long hair out of her face._

" _Don't cry, little one," he said, gently pulling at her cheeks. "You're safe now."_

" _Yeah," the bluenette added in a slightly gruff voice. "We'll protect you. What's your name, anyway"_

 _She stared at them for a long moment before she suddenly burst into tears. A feeling overwhelmed her, one she had never felt before. Safety. That's what it was. As she sobbed and rubbed at her eyes, she managed to stutter, "I-I'm S-Subject 67492."_

 _Both of the boys frowned and looked at each other for a long moment. "That's not a name," the red-head said slowly. "See, I'm Shanks, and this here's Buggy," he added, pointing first to himself, then his companion._

 _Buggy, the bluenette crouched next to Shanks. "Do have a real name?" he asked quietly. She could only shake her head, sniffing as her sobs slowly lessened. "How about we give you one, then?_

 _Her eyes widened as she stared at the two boys. "A n-name?" she managed to ask, her voice raw from crying._

" _Yeah, a name." Shanks grinned at her before silently studying her. Abruptly, he reached out and brushed her hair out of her face. "Look, Buggy, she has a smudge on her forehead. It kinda looks like 'L'."_

" _How about that, then?" Buggy responded, licking his thumb to wipe off the dirt. "L."_

 _Shanks smiled widely at the girl. "Okay, then, Elle. I'm Shanks. Nice to meetcha!"_

 _She couldn't help but giggle. A name. She had a name. She was no longer just 67492. She was Elle._

I suddenly sat up in bed, my fingers tightly gripping the covers. It took me a long moment to come to my senses. I wiped the tears from my cheeks, sighing loudly. It had been a long time since I had had that dream. It was pleasant, a fond memory. But it was a bittersweet feeling that overcame me. Yes, it was a fond memory. But it only led to heartbreak.

I shook my head, trying to dislodge the remainders of my dream. Something had woke me, so I decided to investigate to see what it was. I crawled out of my futon and stood up, stretching hard enough that several of my vertebrae popped. I straightened my short sleeping yukata before softly padding over to the door. I slid it open, revealing the room next door to mine. Inside were two small children curled together in one futon while they had two. One of the children had shockingly white hair, as white as my own, and was tightly holding his brother, who had hair just as red as blood.

Both of my boys were sound asleep, softly snoring. I soundlessly walked over and brushed the hair off of their foreheads before leaning down and kissing each one. Sora and Eli were my life, the only thing that kept me going. They would be turning ten in a few days, making my heart squeeze. They were getting so old. With another kiss for each, I stood up and walked back into my room, softly sliding the door shut behind me. Seeing that my boys were fine, I walked over to the door that lead out into the hall. Standing outside of it, with his hair poised to knock, was a young man with pink hair. His eyes widened at the sudden sight of me, before a blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Oh, uh, pardon the intrusion, Captain Elle," he said quickly in his smooth, young voice. "But Admiral Sengoku and Vice-Admiral Garp are requesting your presence for an emergency meeting."

I let out a small huff and rubbed my temples. "Thanks, Coby," I said to the boy. "Tell them I'll be there as soon as I'm dressed."

He nodded once before quickly turning and walking away. Garp's newest prodigy was a nice kid, strong too. I sighed again and shut the door. I walked over to my clothes chest and pulled out a form-fitting blue shirt. It came up almost to my chin, but left my arms bare. I pulled out a white pair of pants, also form-fitting, and pulled both on. I looked into the large mirror next to the chest and studdied my appearance. My pale white hair fell to my waist in slight waves, accentuated by the cat-ears set atop my head. My eyes were an unsettling yellow, my pupils wide in the dim light. Growing up, I had always been a scrawny child, easily able to pass as a boy. At least, until I had had my kids. Now I head large breasts and hips, my figure easily that of a woman. I pulled my hair off of my neck and pulled it back, binding it into a loose bun at the base of my skull.

 _Well, this is as good as it's gonna get,_ I thought before turning and walking out of my room. I paused briefly to pull on my white boots before I quickly walked to Admiral Sengoku's office. I had barely knocked once before the door opened and I was invited inside. I glanced over all the marines present before my gaze settled on Sengoku. I raised a slender eyebrow and politely asked him why the hell he had woken me up in the middle of the night. Sengoku sighed before he started to explain.

It seems that one of Vega Punk's assistance had gone rouge, performing experiments that the World Government had not commissioned. I only leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest. I had already know all of this, having been one of those illegal experiments. Seeing he was losing my attention, he continued. It seems that one of these illegal experiments had recently decimated an island, something that the Marines could no longer turn a blind eye to. Sad, yes. Unexpected, no. But I still did not see what it had to to with me. Sengoku quickly cleared that right up.

"You are to go after this man and eliminate him."

Again, this was not unexpected. Ever since Garp's grandson had basically disbanded CP9, I had been tasked with assignments that would have fallen to them. "There's a catch," I said slowly. There was no way that they would summon me to a secret meeting in the middle of the night, especially after the war that had just happened, if that was all they wanted to tell me.

And then they told me the name of the assistant I would be going after.

I felt the blood drain from my face. I stood up so fast that the chair I had been sitting in fell over, sliding several feet. "No," I whispered, gritting my teeth. Then, louder and more firmly, " _No._ I will not do this."

I turned to walk away, but Sengoku's voice stopped me cold. "Yes, you will." I turned my head and looked at him over my shoulder. "He is extremely dangerous, and we need someone who knows _him_ to complete this mission."

My hands started to shake. I quickly curled them into fists as I stared at Sengoku. "Just accept it, Elle," Garp murmured quietly. "Don't make him force you to."

" _No._ " I hated the weakness in my shaking voice, despised the fear coursing through my body. But I couldn't help it. That man terrified me as no other could.

"I thought you might say that," Sengoku said quiety. I heard the rustling of paper and turned to see him place a rolled piece of paper before me. "Your orders, Captain, and your punishment should you still chose to refuse."

My heart beat a painful tattoo against my ribs, but I slowly walked over to Sengoku's desk. With shaking hands, I picked up the paper and unrolled it. As my eyes scanned the words written in black ink, my blood froze. Anger surged, causing my fangs to lengthen, but was soon overshadowed by fear. I stared at the shaking paper in my hand. _He couldn't,_ I thought, clenching my jaw. _You know he can, and will,_ a quiet voice squeaked, deep in my mind. That of a scared little girl.

I crumpled the paper in my hand and turned away from Sengoku. "Fine," I ground out between my clenched teeth. "I'll accept." Sengoku opened his mouth to say something, but I quickly cut him off. "But I have a few conditions."

Sengoku's dark eyes appraised me for a long second. "Name them," he finally said.

"First, the condition allowing me to keep my children is now null and void." I watched the ire build in the Admiral's eyes for a second before I continued in a soft voice, "I need _his_ help with this. Plus, he will be affected by your order just as much as I." I watched Sengoku for a long moment before he finally nodded. "Good. And, second, I get to bring my children with me."

Sengoku snorted. "You don't seriously expect to bring your boys along with you, after reading that order," he said in a mocking tone.

I stared at him levelly. "Of course I do, _Admiral,"_ I couldn't help the scorn that all but dripped off of that word. "And I will. Hawkeye can find me, if you feel that you need to put your _order_ into effect."

Sengoku opened his mouth to deny my request, but Garp abruptly cut him off. "Just let her do it," he said softly, his dark eyes quietly watching me. "If you want her to accomplish this mission with the least amount of Marine blood-shed, just agree."

Sengoku audibly ground his teeth together before he grunted. "Fine. You may take them."

I nodded and turned on my heel and strode towards the door. "I'll wake them right now. We'll leave immediately," I said over my shoulder, slamming the door behind me.


	2. Chapter 2

I walked into the boys' room, slipping my shoes off before I stepped on the tatami mats. They were both still out cold, Sora drooling into Eli's hair, turning it a darker shade of red. I felt a small grin pull at my lips, my tail twitching happily as I walked over to them. I softly sat down on Sora's empty futon and gently shook Eli's shoulder. The boy just groaned and burrowed closer to his twin. I gave a small giggle and pulled back the covers. Both boys let out small hisses, but still didn't wake. So I reached forward and scooped up Eli, setting him in my lap.

Eli slowly stirred, just starting to wake. But Sora woke up the second his little brother was no longer in his arms. He sat up with a snarl, his dark eyes scanning the room looking for his brother. When they landed on me, he seemed confused. The expression was so like his father's that I felt a small pang in my heart. But I covered it with a wide grin and held open my arms. Sora grinned broadly and jumped into my lap, all but landing on his brother. Eli, now fully awake, groaned and pushed at his brother, while Sora rubbed the top of his head against my chin.

"Mama," Eli groaned out, "Get Sora offa me!"

"You baby," Sora retorted, poking Eli's cheek. "I'm not doin' anythin' t'ya!"

I stifled my laugh and grabbed both of their cheeks. They instantly stopped bickering and glared up at me. "Come now, boys," I said, smiling down at them. "Go pack. We've got a job to do."

They both flashed me identical grins and scrambled off of my lap. With a small chuckle, I stood up and walked over to the door to my room, leaving them to their packing. Before I walked into my room, I told them to pack light, only the bare essentials. I grabbed one of my bags and started shoving clothing in, making sure that I didn't grab anything with the Navy emblem on it. Once I had my weapons in it as well, I closed it and threw it by my door. I glanced down at my outfit and decided that I should change that as well. Digging through my clothing chest, I found an old outfit that would work perfectly for the mission.

I grabbed the shirt and examined it closely before I put it on. It would be a close fit along the body, the deep v-neck closed together with a small tie. The three-quarter sleeves were also form-fitting until my elbows before flaring out slightly. The black waistcoat I pulled out laced up tight the front and fell to my mid thighs. The tight black shorts hid beneath the waistcoat. My brown leather boots came up just past my knees, completing the outfit. I pulled my hair out of it's hold, running my fingers through it a few times to detangle it.

With the end of my tail tickling the backs of my knees, I turned to the boys' room to find them packed and waiting for me. I grabbed my bag and pulled the strap over my shoulder. I grabbed Sora's hand with my right and Eli's with my left, and, together, we left our rooms to go find the ship that would be taking us to the island I was to be meeting my future partner at.

* * *

Everything was swooshing and swaying, nothing staying still. My stomach felt like it was doing summer-salts and I couldn't hold my head up. Bile filled my mouth and I all but flung myself onto the rail of the ship. I gagged, but was unable to do more than just spit the bile out into the water. With a low groan I rubbed my face. God, I hated riding on ships for the first few days. Sora and Eli took after their father, and were true seamen. They loved every minute of being on a ship. I started to turn my head to see what they were doing, but the motion just caused my nausea to swell once more.

I groaned loudly and slowly slid off of the railing and onto the deck. The wood was warm against my clammy cheek, calming me slightly as I closed my eyes. Dimly, I heard one of the marines on the ship try and talk to me and Sora replying. For the life of me, though, I was unable to understand a word they said. I felt arms go around me and lift me up. I felt my hair rise on end and tried to hiss, but the noise I made was a pathetic mewl. After a few nauseating paces, I was set down again. I managed to halfway open one eye, just enough to see that I was in a rowboat. With a small groan, I closed my eyes again. I felt small hands grab a a hold of mine, the smell of my children filling my nose and calming me into a light doze.

When I woke up, I was no longer moving. I heaved a sigh of relief and sat up, finding that I was now on a beach. I stood and walked to the edge of the water on shaking legs. I splashed a small amount of it on my face, cooling me down but not enough to affect my Devil Fruit. I ran a hand through my hair and turned around to see Sora and Eli talking to a few marines. I walked over with a shy smile and grabbed our bags from them, thanking them for their help.

One of them gave me a weird look. "What kind of Marine Captain gets sea sick?" he blurted out before his companion sharply elbowed his side.

I just laughed. It was a question I got often. "I just do. If I am on a ship for more than a few days I am fine, but until then?" I shook my head. "At least the boys take after their father."

I thanked the marines once more before they got back into the rowboat. Usually, I would've had them drop us off at the main port of the island, but it was not wise on this one. We were on one of the few islands the World Government had no jurisdiction over. It was a true Pirate Town. Hawkeye had told me that _he_ was on his way here, so if I was going to find him, it would be here. Now, to avoid being outed as a Marine Captain before he arrived, that was going to be tricky.

I glanced down at my boys and gave them another look-over, making sure that they didn't have the Navy or World Government emblems on them anywhere. Satisfied, I grabbed my bag and stood back up. I told the boys that they were to remain quiet and behind me unless I told them otherwise. Under normal circumstances, they—especially Sora—would have grumbled that they could take care of themselves, that they didn't need me protecting them. I saw in Sora's dark eyes that he wanted to say something about their order, but he held his tongue after Eli pinned him with his yellow ones.

I turned towards the town and rubbed my hands over my face once more. I took a deep breath, trying to remember the last time I was among enemy pirates. With one sharp shake of my head, I started walking. I held my head up high, my back straight, and walked at a leisurely pace. I made sure to roll my hips more than normal, swinging my arms slightly. I knew that I now prowled forward, walking like a cat in the middle of its territory. And I also knew that my boys mimicked my walk just like I had taught them, with their heads high and backs straight. Show no weakness, no fear.

We made it just inside of the town borders when I stopped. The few pirates that were on the streets eyed us lazily, but saw no cause to panic. I skimmed over them, not bothering to note more than passing details of their faces. None of them fit any of the descriptions I was looking for, so none of them were worth more than a passing thought. Once I had ascertained that, I started walking towards the largest tavern in town, Sora and Eli close behind me. It also served as an inn, so it was perfect for my needs. I flung open the doors to the bar, and every eye in the room turned to look at us. All conversation halted, not a sound permeated the room. I slowly walked up to the bar, where there were two empty stools. Totally aware of our audience, I gestured for Sora and Eli to take a seat.

Once they were settled, the bartender leaned over the counter to glare at me. "This ain't no place for children, nor pretty women such as yourself," he said gruffly, his dark eyes scanning me from head to toe. "Even if yer a Devil Fruit user," he added upon seeing my twitching cat ears.

I held his stare, even as my tail brushed the backs of my thighs as it swished in annoyance. "I can hold my own," I said loud enough for the entire bar to hear. "I am looking for someone."

"Ain't we all?!" a drunken voice shouted from somewhere in the room, causing several of the pirates to chuckle. "

I felt a scowl start to form on my face, but did nothing to stop it. Directly to the bartender, I said, "When will Red-Hair be here?"

He laughed at me. "What, you thinkin' about joinin' up with Red-Hair?" he wheezed out as everyone else in the bar started laughing as well.

"Or are ya tryin'ta pick a fight with 'im?"

"Nah, I betcha she's tryin' to screw him, not join his crew!"

"No! Look at her kid! She's trying to make him play daddy!"

The last man who spoke walked up right behind me, reaching around to try and pat Eli's head. I felt a growl bubble up in my throat. I quickly reached out and grabbed his hand, inches away from touching my son. I released my claws, feeling them bury into his arm. He glared at me as he hissed in pain. Spinning, I pulled him with me, throwing him over my shoulder to land hard enough to splinter the floor. Still holding his now dislocated arm, I dug my heel into his wind pipe. I bared my fangs in a hiss, pulling his arm as high as possible.

"Do. Not. Touch. Him," I growled between clenched teeth. With one hard push into his throat, I threw his arm down with a disgusted snarl. I turned back to the bartender, casually retracting my claws. "As I was saying," I said calmly, ignoring Sora and Eli's smug grins directed at the rest of the room. "I am looking for Red-Hair. Until he arrives at this island, I will be letting a room from you." I leaned between my boys and rested my bloody hand on the bar. Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Will that be a problem?"

A thick, almost palpable silence filled the room. I felt every eye on me, but now with wariness instead of distaste. When the bartender said nothing, I nodded and turned towards the stairs at the back of the room. I heard my boys hit the floor after jumping off of their stools. I turned my head slightly to see them both making ridiculous faces at the entire bar. I had to bite my cheek to hold my grin in check. They were truly their father's sons. I said each of their names sharply as I started walking up the stairs.

* * *

A loud bang disturbed my sleep. I let out a small groan and rolled onto my other side, pulling Sora closer to my chest. I buried my nose in his hair and reached over him to place my hand on his brother's head. I was just starting to drift back to sleep when a large ruckus started up in the tavern bellow us. I was planning on ignoring it, as it had nothing to do with me. But when first Eli, and then Sora, started stirring, I knew that wasn't possible. They were both incredibly heavy sleepers, so it took a lot to wake them.

With a groan, I sat up in bed and ran my fingers through my hair. I stood up and covered the boys back up before fixing my sleeping yukata. This one was a pale lilac with a darker purple sash tying it. With a put out sigh I walked to the door in my bare feet. When I opened it, I was all but slammed backwards from the wall of sound. I could hear wood splinter, glass break, men scream. Great. A bar brawl. With a scowl, I quickly stepped out and closed the door behind me. I quickly walked down the stairs and saw that the entire bar, from the patrons to the staff, were fighting. Off towards the bar, I could see the bartender in someone's face. From his fist in the man's shirt and his irate expression, I figured the mystery man is the one who started the brawl.

 _Alrighty, then,_ I thought to myself, rolling my shoulders. _At least I know who to punish now._

I calmly, but quickly, walked through the brawl, stepping carefully to avoid the broken glass. If I stepped on someone's face or punched a set or two of balls, it was not personal. They were just in my way. When I reached the bartender, I grabbed his arm to try and get his attention. He just shrugged me off. I felt a growl bubble in my throat and grabbed his arm again, this time turning him to face me. He just scowled down at me and shoved me back. With a small hiss, I grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him into the fighting crowd. And then, without even looking at the person the bartender had been "talking" to, I grabbed the front of his shirt.

"You fucking assholes!" I shouted, throwing him out of the front window and into the street. The sound of the window breaking, coupled with my shout, was enough to bring the entire bar to a stand still. "There are children trying to sleep upstairs, you heathens! Now stop this fighting at once!"

I watched a man disentangle himself from the crowd and stride over to me. He was tall, much taller than me, with his gray hair slicked back from his face. He had a scar in the shape of two X's on the left side of his face, making his scowl all the more menacing. He wore a blue cloak with paler blue squigly lines over a navy v-neck shirt. He had a yellow sash tied around his waist and over his pale green pants. Several other men started to walk behind him, including a rather fat an eating some meat and a blonde with shoulder-length dreadlocks. I returned Scar-Face's scowl and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Are you aware," he said in a gruff voice once he was less than a foot away from me, "That you just threw my captain out the window?"

"And when he was trying to stop the brawl to boot!" Dreadlock added with a sneer.

I glared lazily at the men. "It doesn't matter to me," I said with a shrug. "What ever stops the fight. Hopefully my boys haven't woken up yet."

I turned and moved to step around Scar-Face, but he just stepped back into my path. I let out a small growl and glared up at him. Neither of us said anything, each waiting for the other to make a move. When he still didn't move, I grabbed the front of his shirt. I was about to fling him out the window to join his captain when I smelled him. I felt my brows furrow in confusion, trying to place the scent. When nothing flew to the front of my brain, I readied myself to throw him once more. But the excited squeal of Eli stopped me cold.

"Uncle Yasop!" Sora and Eli chorused in unison, making my blood turn to slush in my veins. "Uncle Lucky!"

As I listened to their feet pound down the stairs, I hauled Scar-Face closer to me and breathed deep his scent. And it finally clicked in my mind, causing a wide grin to break across my face. "Ben!" I said, voice holding the same amount of joy as the boys'. Ben just stared down at me, clearly confused. Of course, I didn't blame him one bit. It had been several years since I had last seen him, back when we had all first entered the Grand Line.

My boys had been no more than two, so it had been almost eight years since I had last seen the Red-Hair Pirates. You might be wondering how it is that Sora and Eli, who had been no more than toddlers at the time, could recognize the Red-Hair officers. The answer is simple: their Devil Fruit. The boys had both split the Time-Time Fruit, which gave them the ability to instantly recall any moment in their time, among other things. As they came running down the stairs, just as careful of the debris and not of the men as I had been, I could see all of the Red-Hair Pirates give us quizzical looks.

Staring up at Ben, I tilted my head to the side and felt my ears droop in disappointment. "You... don't recognize us?" I asked quietly, hating the sadness in my voice.

Ben stared down at me for a long moment, just long enough for Sora and Eli to walk up to me. As both of the boys each grabbed one of my hands, I was happy to see recognition light up the pirate's face. "Elle?" he asked slowly. I couldn't help the grin that broke over my face.

Behind Ben, Yassop and Lucky Roo walked closer to us. Lucky Roo gave me a wide grin around his meat and Yassop lightly ruffled my hair. "Been a long time, Kitty," he teased, using my old nickname.

Just then, the doors to the tavern burst open and a glaring man came charging in. His hair was blood-red and fell to his shoulders. Across his left eye were three symmetrical scars, starting just under his hair line and ending just past his cheek bones. His crimson brows were drawn together in a scowl. He had on a black cloak that fell just past his knees with high collars. His white button up shirt was messily pulled out of his gaudy pants, with the buttons starting just bellow his pecks. On his right hip was a large sword, on which his hand was resting.

The bar, which had started murmuring at my familiarity with the Red-Hair Pirates, instantly fell silent when the Captain entered. I felt my ears lay flat against my head and my tail start to swish even faster. I hadn't even realized that I tightened my grip on the boys' hands until they tugged them free. Without even thinking about it, I stepped in front of them, blocking them from his sight. Red-Hair glared at me for several heart-pounding seconds before turning his glare onto his crew.

"Am I missing somethin' here, boys?" Red-Hair asked lightly, almost joyfully, while his dark eyes sharply glared at the room. "Because it looks like you're awfully close to the woman who just threw me out of a window."

I heard a snort behind me and glanced down to see Sora and Eli covering their mouths and trying to hold in their laughter. I quickly hissed at them to be quiet, but not before Red-Hair noticed. He raised one crimson eyebrow and asked if they found something amusing.

"Yeah, the fact that everyone says you're so strong," Sora started to say.

"But Mama was able to throw you so easily!" Eli finished. Both boys glanced at each other before they chorused, "It's just too funny!" and burst out laughing.

I quickly crouched down in front of the twins and pinched each of their cheeks. "Don't be rude," I scolded them, pulling their cheeks and making tears appear in their eyes. "This man is very strong, and that is why I was able to throw him. A weaker man would have resisted. Red-Hair knew what I was doing and went with the flow to keep from being injured," I explained to them, letting go of their cheeks and softly brushing their hair out of their faces.

I glanced back to see Red-Hair giving me a puzzled look. "Not many people would have guessed that," he said, his gruff voice sounding amused.

I felt my back grow stiff and instantly wanted to shift. I fought back the urge and said coldly, "I only knew because I know _you_." When Red-Hair's puzzled look only increased, I felt like the wind had been knocked right out of me. "Shanks," I said slowly, standing up and facing him. "It's one thing for _Ben_ to not recognize me. But I expected more from you."

Red-Hair just gave me an empty grin. "Sorry, love," he said sweetly. "I don't remember every pretty face I've meet over the years."

Any pain that I had felt at his ignorance vanished in a flash, quickly replaced by anger. Dimly, I was aware of Ben, Yassop, and the others all blanch, aware of small hands tug at my yukata. But I ignored it all and strode towards Red-Hair. I placed my hands on my hips and glared up at him, sharply kicking his shin. I felt pain radiate up from my toes, but paid it no heed.

"Buggy recognized me faster, and I spent more time with you!" I shouted out, poking his chest. "I was with you for years, _years,_ Shanks! I was the first member of your crew! And a very important member at that!"

Red-Hair just stared down at me, scowling in confusion. "Are you trying to say you're Elle?" he asked, taking a step back. "But that's impossible. She's—well, she's," Red-Hair's eyes traveled down to my chest before rising back to my eyes, "she's not like you. And, 'sides, she's a cat."

I felt the unintended jab at my chest spear right through my middle, even if it was no longer true. I felt the fur on my tail stand on end, and felt both my claws and fangs lengthen. I took a step even closer to Red-Hair, but my nose barely reached his chest. So I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his face down to mine.

"Now, you listen here, you giant asshole," I snarled into his face, taking satisfaction in watching his dark eyes widen. "It doesn't matter to me whether you recognize me or not."

At Ben's muttered dissent of my words, I shot a lethal glare at him over my shoulder before turning back to Red-Hair. With a small snarl, I shoved him away from me and brushed off the front of my yukata. Throwing my braid over my shoulder, I said calmly, "It doesn't matter because I don't have time for it to. I need your help, Shanks, and you are going to give it to me."

Red-Hair gave me a small smirk and asked how, exactly, I was going to make him help me. I let out a loud sigh and reached into the front of my yukata. Instantly every man in the room rushed forwards, trying to get a better look at what it is, exactly, that I was doing. I heard my boys mutter something about them being perverts, and couldn't help but agreeing with them. So I quickly grabbed what I was looking for and shoved it at Red-Hair.

He took the paper and raised his eyebrow at me. I just motioned at him to read it. His dark eyes scanned the page and his crimson brows drew together in a frown. Once he was done reading, Red-Hair glanced back at me. "I see," he said slowly.

I nodded and turned back to my boys. "Good," I said, turning them around and ushering them back to the staircase. "Okay. So we can discuss this further tomorrow."

"No."

* * *

 _ **A/N: And, after who-knows how long, here is the second chapter of**_ **ASN _! I hope you enjoyed it!_**

 ** _~Shini_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: On 12/21/2016, I uploaded a new version of a few chapters, changing a few parts. In this one, I changed very little. I changed Elle's pirate name from 'Hell Spawn Elle' to 'Hell Cat Elle', as I think the latter sounds better. I also changed how old Elle and the twins were when they meet Luffy. If you don't want to read this update, I removed the part where the twins had been born before Elle met Luffy. Now she had met him about 2 months after Shanks left. I hope you enjoy my changes!_**

* * *

Shanks watched at the woman stiffened. She paused mid-step at his word, her tail falling still and her ears moving flat against her head. Her shoulders raised as she took in a deep breath before she crouched in front of the two boys with her. She ordered them to go upstairs, but they both started to protest. Shanks couldn't see what she did to them, but they both stopped their protests and started walking up the stairs. Shanks was amused to see them both send glares his way. They had spunk, those boys. Reminded him of a boy he had met a decade before.

The woman continued to stare up at the staircase long after the boys were gone. The room was so silent that even Shanks heard it when the door shut upstairs. The woman sighed again and rubbed her face. She called out that she knew they were still there, and that they knew better than to disobey a direct order. A pounding set of footsteps and the slamming of the door was the only answer she got. The woman gave a small nod before turning back to face Shanks.

He had to admit that her expression did, indeed, remind him of Elle. Something about the sadness in her yellow eyes and the way her ears drooped. But Shanks hadn't been lying earlier. Shanks' eyes fell down to her chest, where her cleavage was clearly visible. She was clearly a woman, there was no doubt about it. And Elle...? Well, Elle's—ahem— _assets—_ were very hard to, uhm, find. Even Shanks had been unaware that she even _had_ them until that night... Shanks shook the thought from his mind. Safe to say, Shanks could always recognize Elle, and this woman was not her.

"Why not?" she finally asked, opening her mouth and showing that her teeth were once again normal. When she had been yelling at him earlier, an adorable little fang had shown. Shanks almost felt sad to see it gone.

"It is not my problem." Her eyes narrowed at him, so he continued, "I don't care what the Navy orders you to do. It is none of my concern, and I will not endanger my self or any members of my crew to help you complete this task." Shanks glanced down at the crumpled piece of paper in his hand, scanning the text once more. "From the looks of this, you're a Marine Captain. You should have no trouble taking down that man, with the help of the Marines."

The atmosphere in the room changed abruptly after he finished speaking, shocking Shanks. Suddenly, the anger that had started the brawl earlier shifted and morphed before settling into one of hostility so pure it was almost palpable. As this woman was staying here, Shanks had assumed that everyone knew what she was. But the irate glare she was sending his way told him that he had made a mistake.

"Thanks, really," she scoffed, sarcasm all but oozing out of her words. "It's not like I was trying to stay under the radar or anything, with this being a notorious Pirate Town in the New World."

"Wait—,"

"It's not my fault you were stupid enough to come here," Shanks retorted, striding over to his stool and sitting down once more.

"At least I didn't start a bar fight as soon as I got into port," she snapped, walking up to him again. She scowled at his mug before taking it right out of his hand.

"Hey! Give that back!" Shanks reached for his mug, but she deftly pulled it away from him. Giving him a haughty glare, she downed the entire contents of the mug before handing it back to him. "You owe me a drink!"

"I owe you?!"

"Uh, hey, I don't—,"

Her mouth fell open in shock and she put her small fists on her hips again. It made her a delightful picture, if Shanks truly thought about it. Her yukata was ruffled, almost falling off her shoulders, and short enough he was surprised that no one had gotten a glimpse of her panties yet. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling. In short, she looked like a woman who had either just been bedded, or was about to be. That adorable little fang appeared again, bringing Shanks' attention back to what she was saying.

" _You_ owe _me_ ten years, Shanks Le Roux!" she snarled, shoving her finger into his chest. "Thanks to your stupid pig-headed act—!"

"Pig-headed?" Shanks growled back, standing again so that he was towering over her. "If anyone is acting pig-headed, it's you!"

"I never—!"

"Will both of you just shut up!?"

* * *

I turned my glare towards the panting barkeep. I told him to shut up and mind his own business, but my ire only increased when I said the words in unison with Red-Hair. I growled up at the pirate and felt a slight tingling in my skin. When I glanced down at my hand, I noted that faint white stripes were starting to appear on my arms. Great. He was so infuriating, I was starting to lose control of my Form! I opened my mouth to continue berating Red-Hair. I almost bit the hand that abruptly covered my mouth. I returned my gaze to the barkeep, silently daring him to keep his hand over my mouth.

"Before you two get back into your fight," the barkeep snapped, "I have a few questions." Red-Hair told the man to speak as I pulled his hand off of my mouth. "I may be missing something, but it seems to me like this girl is claiming to be your former crew member Hell Cat Elle."

"You're correct," Red-Hair said at the same time I said, "I _am_ Elle."

Both men turned to me. "I hate to break it to ya, Lady," the barkeep said condescendingly. "But there's no way you're Elle."

"Oh, and why is that?" I growled, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Well, first of all, Elle is a man."

Oh, how words could wound.

* * *

Shanks all but saw the words pierce the woman standing before him. She flew backwards before falling to her knees. A dark aura surrounded the woman and she started mumbling to herself. Shanks couldn't help himself; he started to laugh. The sight was just too amusing! As he laughed and laughed, tears pouring out of his eyes and clutching his stomach, Shanks watched Ben crouch before the woman. His second in command whispered a few words to the woman, to which she replied with a muffled grumble.

Shanks had pulled himself together by the time the woman sat up and turned back to the barkeep. "It doesn't matter to me whether or not a stupid third-rate pirate like you believes me," she said in a deadpan.

The man scowled down at her. "Well, it matters to me!" he snapped. "For years, I have been looking to find out what happened to the Hell Cat, and I've received no help from him," he added, jerking his thumb at Shanks.

Shanks just gave a small shrug and went to take a sip of his ale. He frowned down at the empty mug before setting it back on the bar. "Elle's business is her business," he said simply, leaning back on the bar. "I have no right to say what she's doing."

"Only because you have no idea." Shanks looked at the girl. She was sitting on bent knees, finger-combing her long white hair. She wasn't looking at Shanks, so she didn't see it when Shanks' dark eyes lingered on the shady depths barely hidden by her yukata. "In the ten years, five months since I have last seen Red-Hair Shanks, he has never once inquired about my welfare."

All of the hair on Shanks' body stood on end. How did this woman know how long it had been since he had last seen Elle? "I didn't ask about _you,_ " the barkeep said scathingly. "I was asking about Hell Cat."

The woman glared up at him. "And didn't I just answer you? I am—or, at least, _was—_ Hell Cat." She glanced over at Shanks as she started to re-braid her hair. "And I know for a fact that you have never inquired about me, Shanks, because Garp would have told me if you had."

"Fine," the barkeep said, stepping in front of the woman, "Prove that you were the Hell Cat."

The woman sighed and threw her completed braid over her shoulder. "I have no reason to prove it to you, Mr. Barkeep, but as this man is too thick-headed to believe me, I will." She turned her pale gaze on Shanks, startling him with the depth and the sadness filled in that profound amber. "67492."

Shanks' stomach turned to stone and his mouth, a desert. "Wh-what?" Her eyes just stared at him, silently daring him to have her repeat it. "How do you know that?"

* * *

As I watched all of the color leach from Red-Hair's face, I knew I had him. He just didn't want to believe me, wanted to think something crazy, like I had tortured the number out of the 'real' Elle. Dumbass, being so easy to read...

I let out a sigh. "Fine, not good enough?" I held up my hand and started ticking off my fingers, "Buggy was the one who technically gave me my name. You guys found me right before you officially disbanded, though Rayleigh told me that I kept the crew together for several months longer than planned. You give Mihawk a run for his money—well, maybe not now, thanks to your arm..." I pulled my gaze off of his left shoulder and continued my count. "You only steal from other pirates, much preferring to drink the day away instead of fight. But you will fight, if you feel it is needed."

"Any one could know all of those facts," he said lazily, handing his mug to the gaping bartender. "That doesn't prove that you are my—"

"Lost Kitten?" He scowled at me and I rubbed my face. Really, stupid thick-headed men! I really did not want to use my trump card in such a public place, but there was absolutely no way anyone but Ben, Shanks, and I could know about it. "The night we received word about my newest bounty was also my sixteenth birthday. We celebrated as a crew and both had too much to drink. One thing lead to another, and we ended up a longways away from the rest of the crew. I must say, you were very gentle, though extremely insta—"

"ALRIGHT!" Shanks shouted, standing up. His face was as read as his hair, and his nose looked to be a little wet. "Fine. You're Elle."

I ignored the shocked murmurs (or, in the case of the barkeep, out right shouts) and nodded at Shanks. I stood up, careful to press the back of my yukata against my thighs. "Good. I'm glad you have finally seen reason, Shanks," I said carefully, pulling my yukata tighter around my chest. "I will see you in the morning, where we can talk more about my request."

* * *

 _She was running again, running across the deck and dodging the crew. She glanced over her shoulder and still saw no sign of her pursuers, though she could hear their curses getting louder and louder. Her default place to hide was the Crow's Nest, so there was no way she could hide there. Seeing a potential place, she quickly ducked under a white cape. She glanced up at the owner of the cape and gave him a wide grin, placing her finger over her mouth. The door leading to the lower decks suddenly burst open, so the girl quickly hid behind the man's legs. Peeking out from behind him, she watched her pursuers._

 _The two apprentices of the_ Oro Jackson _burst onto the deck, falling into a heap of scandalous curses. The entire right side of Shanks was tightly pressed against the left side of Buggy. Almost like they were glued together. Stifling her giggle, Elle couldn't help but to think they had been asking for it, falling asleep so close together. The roaring laughter issuing from the Roger Pirates seemed to agree with her._

 _Both red-faced boys somehow managed to stand up, shouting out for Elle to stop hiding and face up to what she had done. Elle only covered her mouth and slid further into the shadows under the cape. She was safe there. The boys wouldn't dare to look for her under the cape. Crouched down and smirking to herself, Elle was gloating so hard she didn't notice when the cape was lifted off of her. She also didn't hear her victims approaching her. She only stopped grinning when both of the boys grabbed one of her cheeks and pulled._

 _As they were dragging Elle away to un-glue them, she called out to her betrayer, "I trusted you, Vice-Captain! Whyyyy?!"_

 _Silvers Rayleigh just grinned, his glasses glinting evilly in the fading light._

* * *

"Noo, save meee..."

"Mama, wake up." I shifted slightly and tried to wake up, feeling my body being shook by two sets of small hands. "C'mon, Ma! You have a meeting!"

I let out a loud sigh and quickly sat up. I rubbed my face for a long moment before I gave each of my boys a kiss on the head. I didn't bother to ask how they knew about my meeting with Red-Hair; they just knew that I would not have come back up to bed before I secured it. I crawled out of the bed and walked into the bathroom. Once I had taken care of my body's needs and cleaned up, I walked back out to by bag. Wearing my towel, I stared at the contents debating what I should wear. Finally, I decided on an outfit and quickly put it on.

Eli and Sora had already gone down for breakfast, so I took a long moment to study myself in the mirror. The day was slightly cooler then the previous one, so I had put on a pair of low-slung, tight-fitting black leather pants and tucked them into the tops of my boots. The red shirt I grabbed was also tight, but only came down to my ribs. It also left my shoulders and most of my cleavage exposed, the sleeves hugging my arms tight to mid-forearm before flaring slightly. I didn't bother with a corset or waist-coat, instead settling a wide belt on my hips. I had left my hair unbound, so it flowed in loose waves unhindered.

Satisfied with what I saw, I quickly grabbed my knives from my bag. I put two in their spots on my belt before tucking the third into my boot. I walked out of the room and felt my ears pressed back against my head, my tail twitching anxiously. I jumped off and skipped the last four stairs, stopping in the main room of the bar. I only had to glance at the scowling barkeep before he told me where the twins were. I thanked him and smiled sweetly before I walked outside, my ears up once more.

I walked down to the beach, ignoring the stares that everyone I passed gave me. It seems that word of who I was had floated out from the bar. It would make my job harder in someways, but I had a feeling that it would also help in others. No matter. Nothing I could do about it, so I turned my focus onto finding the boys.

They were on the beach near the Red-Hair Pirates' ship, ringed by the crew. When I got closer, I could see them facing off against Ben. They just stood there, staring at the Vice-Captain, for a long moment. Then, they pressed their hands together and, before I could blink, they had Ben pinned to the sand. Each boy had a different weapon pressed against the older man's neck. Sora had a small dagger, the mini-version of my knives, while Eli had a kunai knife. I walked up to the group as all of the men started shouting loudly. I easily slipped through the boisterous men to crouch at Ben's head.

I rested my elbows on my knees and cradled my face in my hands. As he scowled up at me, I said, "Did you really think you could best _my_ sons at anything, Ben?"

"I thought I at least had a chance," he muttered, sitting up after the boys had stepped back. "I just didn't expect them to be so fast." We both stood up and he gave me a hard stare. "Have you taught them that freaky World Government Shave-thing?"

"Nope," I said simply, walking over to Sora and Eli. "And they aren't that fast, especially when they're fighting. They take a long time planning out every possible move their opponent can make, and how they can counter it."

Ben's scowl deepened and he opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by his captain. "I dunno, Kitten," Red-Hair said as he sauntered out of the group of his crew. "It seemed to me that that fight went by pretty fast."

"You used to pay such close attention to everything, Shanks," I said, unable to keep the disappointment from my voice. "I would have thought _you_ of all people would notice it."

Red-Hair glared at me ever-so-slightly as he tried to figure out what I had said. When he saw that he was getting nothing from me, he turned his gaze to the twins. Both boys were standing behind me, not quite hiding, but not stepping completely into Red-Hair's line of sight. Identical pairs of dark eyes turned to me, silently asking for permission. I shrugged. Who they told was no business of mine. Seeing that it was up to them, Sora and Eli stepped around me to face Red-Hair.

"Our fight actually lasted around fifteen minutes," Sora started, while Eli added, "But to everyone else, it was only fifteen seconds."

"And how did you two manage that?" Red-Hair took a step closer and smiled down at the boys, his tone both comforting and insisting. He really was great with kids.

"We ate the Time-Time Fruit," they both chorused, stepping back behind me.

Everyone around us just continued to stare at the boys, waiting for them to elaborate further. The twins said nothing more, though, so I stood up. I brushed off the back of my pants and turned to Red-Hair. "That's probably all they're going to tell you," I said, talking more to the crew than to the Captain. "A Devil Fruit user's biggest weapon is the unknown abilities of their Fruit, after all."

"Can I at least ask how two different people were able to eat the same Fruit?" Shanks asked with a small smile, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

I brushed the hair off of both boys' foreheads as I answered, "We don't know. I think it's because they're litter-mates—twins—that it worked out. But because they found the Fruit and thought it looked tasty, they split it in half and both ate it." I turned away from the pirate and crouched down in front of Sora and Eli. "I have something I need to discus with Mr. Red-Hair, here, so why don't you two go tell Uncle Ben about Papa? I'm sure the whole crew would love to hear about them."

Both boys broke into identical grins. They said in sync, "Theses guys know Papa?!"

I grinned back at them. "You kidding? Who do you think gave him the idea to be the next Pirate King?" I hooked a thumb back at Red-Hair and added, "Hell, this guy is the one who gave Papa his straw hat."

I stood up and watched as the boys ran over to Ben and grabbed his hand. They started pulling him away, talking almost too fast to understand. I sensed it more than saw when Red-Hair came to stand next to me. I continued to watch my boys as they dragged the Red-Hair Pirates away, even as I felt Shanks' dark eyes drilling a hole into my head. Once they were out of earshot, I asked him why he was staring at me.

"You were just talking about Straw Hat Luffy," he said slowly. "But why did you call him 'Papa'?" I turned just in time to see all of the color drain from Red-Hair's face. "Don't tell me; is Luffy their father?!"

A laugh bubbled out of my throat before I could stop it. "Oh, god, no!" I managed to choke out between giggles. "No! Luffy wasn't even eight when I first met him."

Red-Hair frowned at me. "Then why did you call Luffy 'Papa'?" he asked again.

I turned back to the direction the boys had gone off in. "Some of the other children made fun of them for not having a father, and they were crying about it. Luffy walked up to them and asked what was wrong. When he heard, he laughed and grinned at them before saying that he didn't have a Papa either." I felt a small smile tug at my lips. "And then he offered to be their Papa."

I about jumped out of my skin, and let out a small hiss, when Red-Hair abruptly started laughing. He just laughed and laughed, wheezing something about how that was just like Luffy. Once he was done, he started asking about Luffy, how he was doing and what he was up to. What he had been like as he grew up, how his Devil Fruit affected his childhood. It was nice, being able to talk to Shanks like that, like nothing had ever happened between us. It was like going back twelve years, when it was so easy to talk to him. When I could talk to him about any and everything.

Then one of us mentioned Ace, Luffy's brother. I'm not sure who it was that brought him up, but it cast a cloud over the conversation. We had both been there at the Battle of Marine Ford, both had met Ace before he was arrested. We both knew how hard it was for Luffy to lose his brother, for Garp to lose his grandson. And that brought us onto the subject that had reunited us. Red-Hair asked to see my orders again, and I silently handed him the crumpled sheet.

"Is there a reason that part of this seems crossed out, with 'Captain' added on top of it?" Red-Hair asked after a long silence.

"I was originally going to be assigned this job before I was demoted. After your little protege wiped out CP9," I said, shooting a glare his way, "I was tasked with all of their jobs. This was going to be one of them, and then Blackbeard captured Ace. Everything was kind of put on hold."

"You were demoted?" Red-Hair asked, raising one of his eyebrows. "What ever did you do, Kitten?"

I scowled up at him, but quickly turned to look away. I crossed my arms over my chest before I answered. "Violently slaughtering a group of lieutenants to save a notorious pirate usually gets one sent to Impel Down, Rear Admiral or not." I tightened my grip on my arms, feeling my claws break the skin. "Claiming that losing such an important man at the same time as Whitebeard would throw the world into even greater chaos is the only reason they kept me. Though I am now a Captain."

"Who did you save? Luffy?" I heard the soft shift of sand as Red-Hair took a step closer to me, felt the soft touch of his breath against my ears as he spoke. "What do you mean by 'violently slaughter'?"

I turned my head slightly to look at Shanks. "There was not a piece larger than my fingernail left when I was done with them," I whispered. He said nothing, but the weight of Red-Hair's stare was unbearable. I let out a small cry and turned to face him, poking his chest as I snarled, "Your back was exposed and those two idiots thought they would do the world a favor and take out another of the Four Emperors. What was I supposed to do, watch you die?! I—!"

My words were cut off by Shanks softly cupping my face. His thumb brushed across my cheek, wiping away the traitorous tears that had fallen. I closed my eyes and covered his hand with one of my own. I leaned into the pirate's touch, grabbing the front of his cloak and pulling him closer. I pressed my forehead against his chest and bit my lip, fighting the sobs that were trying to escape. I took in several deep, shuddering breaths. I took in Shanks' familiar sent, used it to settle my racing heart.

"I couldn't lose you," I said, voice barely a whisper. "Not forever."


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: Sorry it's been so long! I'll explain more at the bottom, but first I wanted to say that this starts off with the first flashback! Yay! The start of the next chapter might get a little confusing, but I promise that I am putting them in order! Hope you like it!_**

* * *

 _There was chaos all around, carnage like you couldn't believe. But he had done it! Luffy had managed to save Ace! I felt a grin spread across my face as I stared at the boys emerging from the fire. I placed a hand on my broken ribs, savoring the pain that Luffy had caused when I stood in his way. I softly touched the arms around me and looked up at the man who had caught me. He was grinning just as widely as me, his eyes hidden behind his purple sunglasses. I gave Doflamingo's hand a small squeeze and took a step towards my brothers._

 _They were fighting beautifully together, like they had only been separated for three minutes rather than years. They had grown so strong, and I knew that they would continue to get stronger as soon as they made it out of Marine Ford. And then it happened. That bastard Sakazuki started talking shit about Whitebeard and I felt the smile fall from my face._ No, not that...

" _Kitty, what's wrong?" Doffy asked, slight concern coloring his tone even as his smile stayed in place. I ignored him as I watched Ace stop moving._

 _Sakazuki had made a gamble that Ace was like his father and wouldn't just stand by and let those close to him get insulted. And he had won. Ace turned and went after Sakazuki, but his attack fell short under the Admiral's Magma-Magma Fruit. Sakazuki then did the unthinkable; he went after the weakened Luffy. I ran towards them, ignoring my injuries, the stabbing pain in my side. I had to get there! I had to save my brothers! No... No...!_

" _NO!"_

 _The scream made my throat raw, but I kept it up. It couldn't be possible. I felt tears well up in my eyes. That was... Sakazuki's hand... peaking out of my little brother's chest. The sound of his arm being removed from Ace's body seemed to echo in my ears. I was aware of strong arms wrapping around me as I watched Ace fall onto Luffy. This couldn't be happening! We couldn't lose Ace too! Ace, you bastard! You promised not to die! You still have to protect Luffy! DON'T LEAVE US!_

 _His words cut across the sound of death and misery, across the large distance between us. I shouldn't have been able to hear them, but they echoed in my ears even as he fell to the ground. He was smiling too._

" _Thank you for loving me..."_

 _Empty. I felt empty, nothing. All I could see was Ace laying on the ground and all I could hear was the sound of Luffy's screams. But I still felt nothing, could not bring myself to help my baby brother. Ace—was gone. Ace left us behind, too. Why did he have to die? Because he was Roger's son? That is no reason for death. Ace had managed to stay alive for twenty years, despite being the Pirate King's son. Why did he die?_ Why did my brother die?!

 _A scent caught my attention and I slowly pulled my gaze away from my brother's body. Him. He was the one who caused Ace's death. It was all Teach's fault that Ace died. I felt more than heard the growl bubbling in my chest. That man had to die. I elbowed whoever was holding me in the face and used Shave. Teach had just blocked a blow from Sengoku, but not Garp. Those old men better get out of my way; I was going to kill that fucking pirate._

 _With a snarl, I kicked his face, sending Teach flying. He rolled around on the ground, moaning in pain, for a long moment before he stood up. Wiping the blood from his mouth, Teach turned and grinned at me. "Well, well," he said, "if it isn't my old friend Benineko Elle. It's been awhile; enjoying the show?"_

 _I snarled and took a step in Teach's direction. "It's your fault," I growled, "it's your fault my brother died!"_

 _Teach gave me a confused look. "Brother?" he asked. "I ain't killed no brother of yours."_

" _Ace!" I screamed, my voice raw. "You killed my little brother Ace!"_

 _Another scent distracted me from whatever bullshit Teach was spouting. I turned my head and gazed down at the battlefield. Coby was shouting and Sakazuki was glowering down at the boy. But that is not what caught my attention. No, it was the pirate that appeared behind Coby and blocked Sakazuki's killing blow._

 _The Red-Haired Emperor was frowning for once, his dark eyes intense even this far away. He was speaking to Coby when movement behind him caught my eye. Two Marines were sneaking up behind him, weapons drawn. They were going to try and kill Red-Hair Shanks. I had lost Ace. I probably just lost Luffy. I was not going to lose him to. I snapped._

 _Before I knew what I was doing, both Marines were dead. More than that, they were in pieces all around me. I snarled down at their remains and flung their guts off of my hands. I glanced at Shanks, but felt none of the joy I had expected upon our reunion. He had abandoned me, but that had lead me to finding my brothers. But this man, this simple pirate with the ability to stop a full-on war, was late. It he had been here just a bit earlier, I would still have both of my brothers. I turned away from him in disgust and walked back over to Garp. The Vice-Admiral gave me a pitying glance and said my name, but I snarled at him. Yes, Garp had lost Ace too. But he had the position and influence to have prevented this from the start. If I did not get away from either of these infuriating men, I was likely to tear them both asunder._

 _Instead, I walked over to the Warlord, Doflamingo. He frowned down at me when I approached him, but said nothing. I grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled the tall man down so that our faces were even. The kiss was small, but he knew what it meant. Doffy gave me a small smile and stood up straight once I released his shirt. "I have something I need to do first, Kitty," he said quietly. "After that, we can go home."_

 _I gave him a short nod and headed towards the remains of Marine Ford. Maybe if I took a shower, I could feel something. Maybe if I lost all sense of myself in Doflamingo I wouldn't feel so empty._

 _I doubted it._

* * *

I heard the sound of footsteps in the sand and quickly shoved Red-Hair away from me. I rubbed my face quickly before turning to smile at—two blurs. Frowning, I turned around to see Red-Hair in the same position as Ben had just been in. I cautiously walked over and observed as my boys threatened some very important pieces of Red-Hair's anatomy. I didn't bother to ask them where they had learned these threats; they probably picked it up while training with Helmeppo. Instead, I picked up each boy by the collar of their shirts and held them up to my eye level.

"What are you two doing?"

Sora and Eli both looked at me with equally furious dark eyes. "This old man made Mama cry!" they shouted in unison. "He needs to be punished!"

I felt tears of pride well in my eyes even as I heard Red-Hair grumble about being called an 'old man'. I quickly set my boys down and crouched in front of them. I pinched each of their cheeks and scolded, "He is going to be doing that a lot, guys," I said sharply before letting go of their cheeks. I brushed their hair from their faces and added, softer, "You just can't go attacking Old Man Shanks every time."

"Why will he—," Sora started and Eli finished, "—be making Mama cry?"

"Because Mama has unfinished business with the Captain," Yasop cut in, swooping down to grab a boy under each arm. "Business that they can hopefully work out during our mission." He gave me a pointed glare, switching his gaze between the boys and Red-Hair.

"You guys are joining up on our mission?!" Sora exclaimed, stars in his eyes. He had always loved pirates, loved shouting that he was going to be just like Papa (much to the chagrin of one Vice-Admiral Garp). Eli, however, kept his dark gaze on me. "Are you going to be okay, Mama?" he asked quietly, pushing his crimson hair out of his face. "Or is it going to be like when you drink with Uncle Buggy?"

I felt all the blood rush to my face and felt Red-Hair's gaze burning holes in the back of my head. "No!" I said, sharper than I intended. "No," I added softer, "Because Mama doesn't have Buggy here with me, nor Richie to annoy afterwards. I guess the Old Man will have to be his replacement."

Finally, Eli grinned just as wide as his brother. "Can we help?!"

I grinned back at him. "Of course!" I said, proudly placing my hands on my hips. "It's been over ten years since I last sailed with the Old Man! He's sure to have grown rusty in my absence. You're gonna hafta fix that!"

I couldn't help but to laugh joyfully as my boys gave me identical devilish grins. Yasop said something to them about packing and started walking back towards the town, most of the crew following him. When Red-Hair walked up next to me, I, again, didn't turn to look at him. But I did acknowledge him with a small hum.

"I'm not sure what I should comment on first."

I raised an eyebrow and turned slightly. "I would suggest 'Old Man', as that will probably be the only thing I'll answer," I stated simply.

"Okay, then, Kitten," Red-Hair said with a small, wry smile. "Why are you three calling me that? I'm not exactly old, y'know."

"You're eleven years older than I am, and over twenty-five years older than Sora and Eli," I replied simply. "To them, you _are_ old."

Red-Hair furrowed his brow at me. "They're ten?" he asked slowly. "They don't look it. How old were you when you had them, anyway?"

"They're both small for their age; they don't turn ten for a few more months." I felt my cheeks start to burn. "And I turned seventeen about three and a half months after they were born."

Shanks stared at me for a long moment before he started counting on his fingers. "Does this mean that their real 'Papa' is someone in my crew?" he asked after several minutes, glowering down at me. "Why was I not made aware of this?"

I was dumbstruck, falling to my hands and knees as his words fully sank in. "You're an idiot," I said at the same time as Ben, who had walked up in time to hear the tail end of our conversation.

Ben helped me up, completely ignoring his Captain's protests and shouts. As the Vice-Captain was pulling me to my feet, he murmured, "You really should tell him, Elle. Our Captain is a smart man, yes, but this is something that would have to be pointed out to him."

I quickly pulled my gaze away from the older man and focused on brushing the sand off of me. I forced levity into my voice as I said, "and what? Give away my final trump card? I might still need it."

"Elle—," Ben started to say before his Captain cut him off. "Well, since you two don't seem to have any intention on telling me what you're whispering about, why don't we see if Kitten's 'device' still fits her?"

* * *

 _ **A/N: I know this chapter is kinda short, and long overdue. I had continued writing past the little flashback (several chapters) but I wanted to watch the War of the Best in order to write the flashback right. When I watched it, it still hadn't come out dubbed, so I watched it subtitled. And I was unable to stop watching until I literally could not watch any more episodes. And watching 300 episodes distracted me. Now that I am all caught up in both Dubbed and Subbed**_ **One Piece, _I decided that it was time to continue. So, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I will be posting another some time today._**

 ** _~Shini_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: This might start out a little confusing, but just keep reading! I couldn't figure out how to write this smoother.**_

* * *

Shanks stared at Elle's back, her words echoing in his mind. _Nothing larger than a fingernail left._ He knew that she was dangerous, had seen her play with her enemies before finally ending them—and never painlessly. But Shanks also knew that it took something serious to piss her off enough to just straight rip an enemy to shreds. And what Elle was talking about, killing those marines—they weren't her enemies, but her subordinates. Thinking back on that horrible day, Shanks realized that he remembers seeing her. Of course, he didn't recognize her at first. But he remembers her.

She had been standing next to Vice-Admiral Garp, and Shanks had seen her shaking even across the plaza. Elle had been in her half-form, her mouth more feline than human, complete with some whiskers. Her claws were fully out, both on her hands and on her bare feet. Her legs looked like the back legs of a cat and she was resting her weight on the balls of her feet. Her tail was swishing quickly, and her entire body was covered in light gray stripes. Shanks remembers turning and seeing her, watching her yellow cat eyes narrow almost to the point where she had no pupil. Then she had disappeared.

Shanks had heard something behind him, and turned to see what it was. It had been the same cat girl, but with one major difference. Standing by Garp, she had been white, the only color her pale eyes. When she had appeared behind him, though, she was—from the tops of her ears to the tip of her tail—solid red. Blood, Shanks had realized. And other body parts—entrails, it seemed—were hanging off of her claws. Shanks had looked down to see her standing in a giant red puddle with little bits and pieces scattered about. Shanks had barely glimpsed the cat-girl before he took a step back, his hand reaching for his sword. The cat-girl, though, had only looked at him for a long moment before she shook the intestines off of her hand. She had sauntered back over to the Vice-Admiral, ignoring the shocked stares of the marines around her.

Shanks frowned as he remembered what else he had seen. The cat girl had walked up to a tall, blond man standing off to the side. Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords. She had grabbed his shirt and roughly pulled Doflamingo's face down to hers. Even as the Warlord spoke to her, Shanks had felt his eyes staring straight at him. It was obvious that the cat girl—Elle—was in a relationship with him. Shanks didn't like thinking of that.

A sharp cry of pain shook Shanks out of his memories, bringing him back to the girl—woman in front of him. Elle abruptly spun around and shoved her finger into his chest, hissing, "Your back was exposed and those two idiots thought they would do the world a favor and take out another of the Four Emperors." There were tears in her eyes, surprising Shanks. Was she crying because of him? "What was I supposed to do, watch you die?! I—!"

Shanks had always hated seeing her cry like that, and moved out of habit when he cupped her cheek. Her eyes widened as he softly brushed away her tear before almost closing. Elle reached up and placed her hand over his, leaning into his palm. With her free hand, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled Shanks to her, resting her forehead against his chest. Her shoulders started shaking and, for the first time in the ten years it had been gone, Shanks wished he still had his left arm. If only to hold and comfort Elle the way he used to be able to.

"I couldn't lose you," she whispered suddenly. "Not forever."

Shanks was unable to move as she pushed away from him, rubbing her face. Both her words and the look on her face—her cheeks and nose red, her lips and eyes shining—hit Shanks directly bellow the belt. He was glad his pants were baggy, lest she notice just how she was affecting him. Shanks opened his mouth to say something to Elle, but she suddenly plastered a smile on her face and turned away from him.

Before Shanks even realized it, two small bodies hit his shoulders and knocked him into the sand. He was looking up into the furious faces of Elle's children. The expression they were making, along with the familiar threats to his manhood, brought to his mind his last year on the _Oro Jackson_ and the little kitten they had all adopted. Before he could laugh, the boys were lifted off of him by Elle. She held them up by the collars of their shirts, almost like they were her kittens. Which, thinking about it, they technically were.

She was scolding them, it sounded like, and they called him an old man. Frowning, Shanks sat up and muttered about being called old. Luffy had called him an old man at first, ten years ago. It had stung then, but not nearly as bad as when Elle continued to call him 'Old Man Shanks'. At least she was acknowledging him, saying his name. It was more than she had done at Marine Ford, when she had clearly recognized him. Thinking on it brought a small smile to his face. Terrible as it was, Shanks was glad that she had saved him. Sure, he could have handled those marines, but it was nice knowing that she still cared enough to risk so much for him.

Yasop had arrived and taken the boys from Elle. The one with white hair, the miniature version of Elle, was staring up at Shanks' sharpshooter with stars in his eyes. The other, the one with red hair, asked, "Are you going to be okay, Mama? Or is it going to be like when you drink with Uncle Buggy?"

The mention of Shanks' old crew-mate was surprising enough before Elle's face turned bright red. Had she contacted Buggy while they were apart, without contacting Shanks? He didn't like the thought.

"No!" she squeaked out before glancing at Shanks out of the corner of her eye. "No," she said slightly calmer, "Because Mama doesn't have Buggy here with me, nor Richie to annoy afterwards. I guess the Old Man will have to be his replacement."

The boy suddenly gave his mother an evil grin. "Can we help?!"

Elle matched her son's grin and said, placing her hands on her hips, "Of course! It's been over ten years since I last sailed with the Old Man! He's sure to have grown rusty in my absence. You're gonna hafta fix that!"

The statement sent shivers down Shanks' spine, bringing back memories of what it had been like to sail with Elle when she had been that age. He was going to have to watch his back and sleep with one eye open. He had barely survived _one_ Elle; he wasn't sure he'd live through _two._ The sound of Elle's laughter brought Shanks out of his terror. Oh, he missed that sound. Yes, his crew laughed and had fun. But no one's laugh sounded as good as Elle's. With a small smile, Shanks walked up to stand beside Elle.

"Hmm," she murmured, smiling wistfully at her sons.

"I'm not sure what I should comment on first," was the only thing Shanks could think to say.

Elle turned to face Shanks, one of her pale eyebrows raised and a small fang showing. "I would suggest 'Old Man', as that would probably be the only thing I'll answer."

Fair enough; he wouldn't ask about Buggy."Okay then, Kitten. Why are you three calling me that? I'm not exactly old, y'know," he added on for some reason unbeknownst to him.

"You're eleven years older than I am, and over twenty-five years older than Sora and Eli." Shanks took note of the names of her boys; Sora and Eli. "To them, you _are_ old.

Wait, twenty-five years? How old are those kids? They didn't look older than Luffy had when Shanks had first met him. Shanks scowled down at Elle and asked, "They're ten? They don't look it." Another thought occurred to Shanks, causing his scowl to deepen, "How old were you when you had them, anyway?"

"They're both small for their age; they don't turn ten for a few more months," Elle said, answering his first question. Her blush returned before she answered his second. "And I turned seventeen about three and a half months after they were born."

Seventeen, three and a half months after they were born. She turned sixteen a little over two months before Shanks had her leave his crew. If Elle had been pregnant for nine months, then... "Does this mean that their real 'Papa' is someone in my crew?" Shanks didn't like the sound of that, thinking that someone else had seen her like—like she had been that night. Shanks pushed the thought aside and snapped, "why wasn't I made aware of this?!"

Elle suddenly looked dumbstruck as she fell to her hands and knees. "You're an idiot," she groaned out as Shanks' vice-captain said the same.

Wait, why did Ben call him an idiot, too?! Does that mean he knows who the twins' father is?! Shanks glared at the two, muttering to himself about being left out of the loop. But he slowly trailed off as he watched the two interact. They had always been close, but this was different. As Shanks watched Ben lean down and whisper something into Elle's fuzzy ear his chest started to feel funny. He watched a strange expression cross Elle's face, her tail still as she studiously brushed non-existent sand off of her. There was an intimacy around the two that hadn't been there before. Shanks knew that Ben had stayed in contact with Elle over the years, seen him quickly hide letters, but not before the Captain recognized the handwriting. But just how close were they?

Shanks shook off his questions, but couldn't keep himself from breaking the two apart, pitiful bastard that he was. "Well, since you two don't seem to have any intention on telling me what you're whispering about," he said, the words coming out more bitter than he intended, "why don't we see if Kitten's 'device' still fits her?"

Shanks felt his smile grow as he watched all of the color drain from Elle's face. "Y-You still have that?" she shouted, her voice shrill.

"Of course I do, Kitten," Shanks said with a teasing lilt. He turned and started to walk back to his ship. "Always knew you would be back and need it again."

* * *

 _Always knew you would be back._ Shanks' words echoed through my mind, bouncing and dancing. He had abandoned me, yet he knew I would be back? I scowled and thought about all of our recent interactions. Once he had realized that I was, indeed, who I claimed to be, he had acted like nothing had happened between us. Like the last six months I spent on his ship had never happened. My chest started to hurt. Despite the heartache that they caused, those last months were the happiest I had ever been in my entire life. And the jackass was acting like they had never happened.

I snorted and lifted my leg up when Ben softly patted my thigh. Shanks was still in denial about what had transpired between the two of us. I glanced back over my shoulder at my boys. They were playing with Yasop and Shanks and the rest of the crew, all of them taking turns chasing and running. I heard Ben stand up and start working with some clasps as I continued to watch everyone. Shanks leaned down and scooped up Eli. The pirate set my son on his shoulder and grinned up at him. My heart almost stopped beating. I had always known that my children—especially Eli—looked just like their father. But seeing the two so close together... I had to tear my gaze away before I started crying again.

I glanced up at Ben, biting my lip. "Did he miss me?" I whispered before I could stop myself.

Ben paused in his work, giving me a long, hard stare. "Don't ask stupid questions, Elle," he said sharply. He finished his buckle and took a step back from me. His eyes slowly ran down my body before coming back up to rest on my chest. "I think you might have outgrown this," he murmured, "But I don't think anyone will complain."

I started to ask what he was talking about, but ended up letting out a strangled sound when I glanced down. The device was actually a harness invented by Shanks and Buggy when I had first met them. I had never been good on ships for the first couple days, always leaning over the rail and vomiting up anything that entered my mouth. After the nth time of falling in the sea and having to have Shanks rescue me, they came up with this. It was just a simple harness that wrapped around my thighs, waist, chest, and shoulders, with a length of rope attached that could be tied off anywhere on the ship. If I fell overboard, the rope would catch me before I landed in the sea. A rather ingenious idea when you thought about it.

But it had been over ten years since I had last worn this harness, and my body had changed significantly in the interim. When I had gotten pregnant, by hips had widened significantly to support the twins, turning my boyish figure much more womanly. Add that to the fact that my breasts had grown from barely there, size of tangerine, don't need a bra to oh-my-god get these watermelons off of me during the pregnancy and never went back. The harness now fit snugly around my waist, highlighting it, and barely clasped around my chest. And the straps pushed by boobs up and together, making it look almost obscene.

I felt all of the blood in my body rush to my face. "I-I can't wear this!" I shouted, my voice cracking. "It-It—It's just—," I could think of no words to describe myself.

At the sound of my voice, Shanks had meandered over to take a look. I heard him approaching and quickly crossed my arms over my chest. I wrapped my tail around me and felt my ears fall flat against my head. I crouched down and tried to be as small as possible. I heard the crunch of sand and the rustling of fabric next to me, but I had closed my eyes tightly.

"Come now, Kitten," Shanks' voice sounded right against my ear, causing me to jump and look at him. "It can't be that bad."

"There are children present!" I snapped, turning to bury my face between my knees. Unfortunately, my breasts got in the way, and I had to quickly look up lest I suffocate myself.

"Nothing they haven't seen before," Shanks said with a small laugh.

I turned and glared at the man. "But it is something few others have," I hissed between my teeth.

Shanks' smile instantly disappeared and he gave me a hard stare. I was unable to hold his gaze for long and quickly looked away, my cheeks heating for an entirely new reason. Before I even realized what he was doing, Shanks grabbed the back of my neck and hauled me to my feet. I found myself unable to put up a fight until after he let go of me. Outraged, I spun around to face the pirate, already yelling at him. At the look on his face, I abruptly stopped yelling.

As he took the sight of me in, the lids of his dark eyes lowered and his red brows furrowed. He gave me a hard stare, more intense than any he had previously given me. At his side, his hand clenched tightly, and I could see the tendons in his neck strain because of his clenched jaw. The pirate before me looked upset about what the harness did to my body. I didn't like the way his expression made me feel, so I quickly turned my back to him. I felt my cheeks burn and couldn't even muster the strength to move my tail.

It was apparent that anything that happened between us during those last few months with him had been greatly exaggerated by my memories. Everything that had happened between us had merely been just a kind man allowing his young ward a way to experiment safely. Clearly, Shanks saw me—both then, and now—as a sister figure. The teasing, jesting, kisses—I made them into something that they was not. I had figured that had been the case for years. But seeing that I was right—it hurt so much more than I could have ever prepared myself for.

I jumped slightly when I felt something settle around my shoulders. I glanced over to see that Shanks had given me his cloak. I murmured a word of thanks and quickly pulled the fabric tight around me. I followed the pirates onto the ship, managing to give my sons what I hoped was a happy smile. From the identical dubious looks on their faces, I knew that I hadn't succeeded.

As soon as both of my feet were planted on the deck, I felt my stomach start to revolt. I quickly ran towards the closest railing, all but throwing myself over as the contents of my dinner tried to make a repeat appearance. I heard the men around me all start to laugh and jest about old times. I paid them no mind, as I was preoccupied. I spat out the bile still in my mouth and leaned up. I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand and glanced up at Shanks, who had been generously holding back my hair. He gave me a small smile and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Here, Kitten," he murmured, his cold hand feeling wonderful on my feverish skin. "How about I knock you out so that you sleep through the worst of it?"

I let out a small mew, too grateful for words to express. Before the sound was fully out of my mouth, Shanks tightly squeezed the right pressure points, and I fell into blissful, smooth darkness.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Told you that I would be posting another chapter today! I'm even feeling extra generous today and might post another chapter or two as well. As always, I hope you liked this chapter!**_

 _ **~Shini**_


	6. Chapter 6

The boy, Eli, let out an excited squeal as Shanks scooped him off of the ground. He grinned widely at Shanks, the expression reminding the pirate of a certain kitten. He felt his grin before he was aware he was smiling, and Shanks turned to see if Elle had noticed them playing.

Shanks had gotten her harness after he had left her in a stunned silence. When he had first sent her away, Shanks had envisioned the next time he would be able to buckle her up in it. Elle had always had a hard time working it, and so had to have someone help her into it. Unfortunately, her harness required two hands to work. So Shanks had reluctantly handed the device over to his vice-captain and watched quietly as Ben had led the girl away. Shanks had looked after them for a moment before two small boys headbutted his stomach, bringing him into the game they had been playing with his crew.

Shanks had turned to face the cat-girl just in time to see Ben stand up from where he had been crouching in front of Elle. When the expression on his vice-captain's face had changed, Shanks softly set Eli down. His normally stoic second had gone from his rough glare to a softer scowl. A familiar scowl that Shanks had only seen when Ben had found a woman he wanted. And, for some reason, Shanks did not like Ben looking at Elle like that.

Shanks heard Elle speak, her voice sounding almost panicked, but didn't quite catch what she was saying. He watched as her tail quickly wrapped around her body and her ears lay flat against her head. Even from this distance, Shanks could see that her face was bright red. So he walked over to her, reaching Elle's side right after she crouched down and tried to curl up. Shanks recognized the position and figured she must be embarrassed about something.

"Come now, Kitten," Shanks teased, crouching down next to her. "It can't be that bad."

"There are children present!" she squeaked, turning to hide her face in her knees. Before that could happen, though, she looked up with a small gasp. Shanks had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the expression on her face.

"Nothing they haven't seen before."

When Elle turned to glare at him, there was silver lining her golden eyes. "But it is something few others have!" she hissed, the fur on her tail standing on end.

Shanks frowned at her. What could be embarrassing her so much? Elle turned her face away from him, a pout on her lips and a pretty pink staining her cheeks. Deciding that he needed to see what the fuss was about, Shanks grabbed the back of her neck. Like a true cat, that was her weak point. Ever since she was little, if you held Elle by the scruff of her neck, she went totally limp. So Shanks picked her up and hauled her to her feet. Elle let out an outraged shriek and turned to start yelling at Shanks as soon as he put her down. But he couldn't have cared less about what she was saying as he took in the sight of her.

Last night, Shanks had noticed that Elle looked different from the last time he had seen her. For one, her hair now fell to her waist, where she had always kept it shorter than his. He had noted that she finally had some womanly curves and that the baby fat from her cheeks had disappeared. But he hadn't thought she had changed too much. Looking at her now, though, Shanks could see just how much she had truly changed in the decade they had been apart.

The harness tightly hugged her body, drawing attention to not only her narrow waist, but her impressive new—ahem—assets. With the way she looked, it was almost like she was tied up and all but begging for him to do whatever he wanted to her. The soft blush on her cheeks and the fang nervously chewing her lip did nothing but fan the flame that was kindling inside of Shanks. He was once again glad that his shorts were baggy.

Elle quickly turned away from Shanks and her shoulder's drooped. Her ears moved forwards, but still remained flat against her head and her tail was absolutely motionless. He could see her cheeks turn bright red and realized why she was so embarrassed. So he quickly undid his cape and draped it over her shoulders. Shanks resisted the urge to brush her hair out of her face and turned to board his ship. He heard Elle follow after him, her footsteps almost silent.

As soon as they were on the ship, all color vanished from Elle's face. Shanks opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but the cat-woman quickly pushed past him and all but threw herself over the railing. Shanks walked over and pulled her hair out of the way of her vomit, wishing he could do more for her. When she was done, Elle glanced back up at him, tears once again lining her eyes. Shanks remembered that there _was_ something that he could do for her. When she was younger, sleeping had been the only way for Elle to avoid the worst of her sea sickness.

Shanks gave Elle a small smile and placed his hand on her shoulder before asking if she wanted him to knock her unconscious for the worst of it. The sound she made and the look of absolute relief hit him squarely bellow the belt and it was all Shanks could do to squeeze the pressure points that would knock her out. Elle fell forwards into his arm and he quickly threw her body over his shoulder. Shanks was aware of the sharp glares of her sons as he walked up to the forecastle. Shanks carefully placed Elle down before he sat down next to her, letting her use his lap as a pillow.

* * *

 _Elle crouched on the pier, holding her breath as her stomach started to settle. The man standing above her was chuckling, but the most Elle could do was glare up at him. She debated vomiting on his shoes just to be spiteful, but decided against it when her stomach finally stopped rolling. Wiping the sweat off of her face with her loose shirt, Elle stood up and faced the large man._

 _And he was really was a big man, standing several heads taller than Elle. His hair was cut close to his head, the white color matching that of his neatly trimmed beard. He was wearing a plain black suit with a white shirt underneath, and looked like a pleasant man if you discounted the scar that ringed his left eye. Elle remembered the Marine from when she had been part of the Roger Pirates and couldn't help the scowl that spread across her face. No, she did not like Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp, and she could not understand why Shanks had freely handed her over to him._

 _Garp glanced down at Elle and let out a loud laugh. "You can stop glaring at me, brat," he said with a wide grin. "It's not going to change what Sengoku, Red-Hair, and I decided."_

 _No, glaring wouldn't help. It had already been decided that Elle was no longer a pirate. Now she was to be a Marine, fighting against the only life she had known. Elle softly rubbed the small bump of her stomach. If it wasn't for that, she wouldn't be in this predicament. She wasn't even sure she wanted the damn kid, so why was it being held over her head like this?! Glaring couldn't change what had already happened and what was going to happen, but it helped her feel better. So Elle would glare as much as she damn well wanted to._

" _Why are we here?" Elle mumbled in response, turning to stare at the ocean behind her. She was searching for a ship she knew would never appear on the horizon."I thought you were going to train me."_

 _Garp shoved one of his hands in his pocket and placed the other on Elle's shoulder. She tried to shrug it off, but he just held on tighter. He used that hand to start steering her as he answered, "I will. But before we can start, you need to have your baby. And until we know that you will be loyal to us, Sengoku asked me to test you."_

" _Test me how?" Elle asked in a deadpan, staring blankly at the people they passed. One woman with dark hair tied back in a bandanna gave them a nervous smile. Something about the way she smelled irked Elle, so she snarled in return. Garp gave her a rough shove forwards before Elle could do anything else._

" _How willing you will be to become a Marine." Garp was now leading them into a dense forest. "You said you're not sure you want this kid," he continued quietly. She had said that when the weird Goat-Man had laid down his ultimatum. "I want to show you how wonderful kids can be, so I'm going to leave you with my grandsons."_

" _How will that make me love my own kid?"_

 _Garp grinned widely at her as they came up to a small house. "Considering your past," he said with a laugh, "you'll have a soft spot for these two brats. And if you don't come to love these kids, you wont like_ any _kid. Dadan!"_

 _Elle jumped at his sudden yell and flinched again when a large, ginger-haired woman burst out of the house. "What is it, ya bastard?" the woman shouted, glaring at Garp. She took one look at Elle before returning her scowl to the Vice-Admiral. "I ain't gonna take care of another one of your brats! Ace and Luffy are already more than I can handle!"_

 _Elle was already tuning out the shouting match going on between the two large humans. She was instead watching a tiny man come out of the house. He looked like he would be fun to chase, like he would be surprisingly fast and agile. Elle's stomach growled and she felt drool at the corner of her mouth. The ship-ride over had been too short for her to get acclimated, so she hadn't eaten in several days. And that little man was looking mighty tasty. As if he could read her thoughts, he paled and quickly ran back inside. Before Elle could chase after him, though, he was back with a piece of paper clutched tightly in his hands._

" _B-B-B-Booosssss!" he shouted in a high-pitched, nasily voice, catching the Ginger-haired woman's attention. "T-This isn't no ordinary brat! It's the Hell Spawn!"_

 _The small man handed the woman the paper he was holding, which Elle assumed was her wanted poster. The woman glanced at the paper, then at Elle, several times before her eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her skull. "There is no way in hell I am taking in a wanted pirate, Garp!" she shouted, throwing the paper onto the ground in disgust. It made a surprisingly large impact."You really expect me to take in the Hell Spawn, when I damn well know his reputation?!"_

 _Elle couldn't help her reaction; she had the same one every time someone mistook her gender. She felt all the hair on her body stand on end as she hissed at the Ginger. Over Garp's loud laughter, Elle snarled at the woman, "I am a girl!"_

 _Gingy just looked her up and down before crossing her arms over her large chest. "Are you sure about that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow._

 _Elle glanced down at herself. She was wearing an old shirt of Shanks' that was much too large for her. She had it loosely tucked into a pair of baggy shorts that were tied at her waist with a red sash, both more hand-me-downs from Shanks (she preferred clothing that smelled like him instead of new). Her boots came up to her ankles, tied slackly so that she could easily kick them off. Yeah, she could understand why she was mistaken for a boy; all of her clothing hid any curves she had. Elle also kept her hair cut shorter than Shanks', so that it wouldn't get in the way if she found herself fighting. And Elle knew that she certainly didn't act like a girl. But she couldn't be at fault for that! She had been raised by men! She had had very little female interaction, especially in the last decade._

 _Garp's hand shaking her shoulder pulled Elle out of her thoughts. "Elle, here," he said to the woman, again steering Elle as they walked closer, "is no longer a pirate." She scowled at Garp's words, but said nothing to dispute it. It was true, after all. "She's made a deal with the World Government, becoming a Marine in exchange for her life."_

" _Is that so," the large woman replied sardonically. "I don't see how that affects her comin' to live with us. If she's now a Marine, shouldn't she stay with you,_ Vice-Admiral _Garp?" The way the woman said the Marine's title made Elle like her just a tiny bit more than she had previously._

" _That's the thing, Dadan. She can't train because of her medical condition." Both Elle and Gingy frowned at Garp. Seeing the women's confused looks, Garp added, "Elle's pregnant. Can't train her in such a delicate state."_

" _I'm not delicate," Elle growled, ignoring the shock of the people standing in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest, her frown deepening at the discomfort and pain in her breasts that the action caused. "I can still fight."_

 _Garp abruptly smacked Elle on the back of her head, sending her flying forwards. "You idiot brat!" he shouted. "You are not in the right set of mind to make decisions like that!"_

" _Says who?" she snarled, holding the back of her head. She glared up at Garp from her crouch, baring her teeth. "I can do whatever the hell I want!"_

" _Not anymore, you can't!" Garp squatted down in front of Elle and shoved his finger in her chest. "Whether you like it or not doesn't change the fact that you are now a Marine. And, as a Marine, I am your superior. So you are not to question me if I tell you to jump, unless it's to ask how high!"_

 _Elle clicked her tongue and turned away from the Marine. She stared into the forest, frowning when she saw a boy come sauntering out of it. He had wavy dark hair that framed his face, dark, scowling eyes, and a huge forehead. Across his cheeks were freckles, which only lessened the effect of his frown. He had what seemed to be a lead pipe thrown over his shoulder. The boy glared at everyone before he spoke in a surprisingly deep voice._

" _Who's this, old man?"_

 _Garp turned from glaring at Elle to grinning at the boy. "This here's Elle!" he said loudly, clapping his hand on her shoulder. "Elle, say hello to one of my grandsons!"_

 _Elle opened her mouth just in time for the wind to shift, blowing the boy's scent straight into her face. The familiarity of it hit her like a punch to the gut. It couldn't be true. No one alive was supposed to smell like that. Elle stood on shaky legs and quickly approached the boy. He glared at her warily, but didn't seem alarmed by her. Well, that is, until she leaned down and pressed her face against the top of his head. Elle grabbed his arms so that the boy couldn't attack her and breathed deep his scent. It was true; the scent brought back bittersweet memories of the single year she spent as a normal girl._

 _Elle couldn't help the little mewl she let out as she released the boy. "Ace," she breathed, almost too quiet for anybody to hear._

 _Garp let out a loud laugh and walked over to the two of them. "I see you figured out who he is," he said proudly._

 _Elle gave Garp a level stare. "Captain said you would take him in," she said slowly. "He put such blind faith in you, his enemy, but I couldn't understand why. I didn't really think you would protect my little brother."_

" _Little bro—" Ace started to say, but cut himself off. His scowl deepened as took several steps back. "Are you saying you're that man's son too?"_

 _Elle snarled, "Daughter. I'm his adopted daughter."_

 _Ace snorted. "I don't care if you're his son or daughter or whatever," he said vehemently. "_ He's _not_ _my father, and_ you're _not_ _my brother."_

 _Elle rocked back on her heels and crossed her arms over her knees. She placed her head on her arms and stared intently at Ace. "It doesn't matter if you claim the Captain isn't your father," she said simply. "You still have his blood running through your veins."_

 _Ace scowled even deeper, if that was even possible, but didn't say anything. Garp laughed at their encounter before he turned back to Gingy. "Hey, Dadan! Where's Luffy?" he asked her in his loud voice._

" _He was with Ace, last I saw him."_

 _Everyone turned to the boy, who just shrugged. "I haven't seen him all day." He was lying—Elle could smell it on him—but she didn't know why._

" _If this Luffy-kid is actually related to you," Elle added, "then I can smell him comin'."_

 _Not two seconds later, another little boy come out from the forest. He was covered in scratches and bruises, despite appearing even younger than Ace. His black hair was short and messy, not unlike her own. He had a wide smile and a small scar under his left eye. When the boy caught sight of everybody, he gave a wide grin and reached behind him. He opened his mouth and said something, but Elle couldn't hear anything above the rushing in her ears. The boy was putting a straw hat with a red band on. A very familiar straw hat. One she had last seen on_ his _head as_ he _turned his back on Elle._

" _That hat...," Elle said, cutting off whatever Garp was saying._

" _Oh, this?" The boy's grin widened and he fondly pushed the hat down on his head. "Shanks gave me this to hold on to until I become a great pirate!"_

 _Elle snarled and launched herself at the boy. She tightly grabbed his arms, growling with her ears pressed flat against her head. "Liar! You're lying!" she cried. "Shanks would never give that hat to some brat!"_

 _She felt her claws grow, pressing against the boy's arms. He instantly sagged in her grasp, bringing a grim smile to Elle's face. This kid was a Devil Fruit user. That meant it would be easy for her to tear him apart piece by piece and not have him fight back. Elle opened her mouth, revealing her lengthening fangs, and went in to start ripping into his flesh. She never made it, though. A rough hand grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her off of the boy. She was thrown into a tree and was promptly surrounded by black._

* * *

 ** _A/N: Another flashback! I think I will be doing a lot of flashbacks, as I feel that they help you guys understand Elle the way I do. Explain her motives and mind better. So look forwards to those! I might not post for a while again, but I hope the three chapters I posted today tide you over until I do. As always, enjoy, lovelies!_**

 ** _~Shini_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: On 12/21/2016, I updated Chapter 3. In it, I changed Elle's pirate name from 'Hell Spawn' to 'Hell Cat' and when she had originally met Luffy and Ace. This changed the story significantly, so I recommend re-reading that chapter!**_

* * *

Shanks leaned against the railing of his ship and calmly observed the two children crouched before him. Elle slept soundly next to him, her head in his lap and her body curled into a ball. He was softly petting her hair, barely aware of the movement. They had been on the ship for almost two days now, and the Cat Woman still slept. Shanks knew that if she was asleep before boarding a ship, Elle's body would continue to sleep until the worst of her sea sickness passed. Shanks had stayed with Elle the entire time, knowing she slept sounder with him near.

When they had boarded the ship after Shanks and Elle, the twin boys had dug around in her bag until they pulled out an Eternal Pose. They handed it to the navigator and told him that was the last island their quarry had been spotted at. When asked how they came by that information, Sora and Eli had only said that their mother had contacts all over the Grand Line and had kept a close watch on the man for the past decade. Before Shanks could ask more questions, the boys had scurried off to explore his ship. They had spent most of that day wandering around, reminding Shanks of their mother when she had first boarded the _Oro Jackson._ Well, after her sea sickness had passed.

But their explorations had only lasted so long, and this morning Shanks had found himself under close watch. Finally, Shanks was unable to bare their silent stares any longer and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No," they both said in unison. The redhead—Eli?—added, "We're just confused."

"Confused? Why?" Shanks said, feel a cold sweat break out across his skin. His hand softly rubbed Elle's ear when she let out a small whimper in her sleep.

Two sets of dark eyes glanced down at their mother before turning back to Shanks. "How is it," Eli started with Sora finishing, "That Mama is so relaxed around you?"

Shanks frowned at the boys. "What do you mean?" He glanced down at Elle. "Is this unusual? Because she's always done this."

"What's unusual is how deeply she's sleeping. That means she trusts you," Sora said. Eli added, "There are very few people Mama relaxes around.

"We know all of them," they said at the same time, "and you are not one."

They moved closer to their mother, Eli reaching out to touch her. Before anyone could blink, Elle reached out and grabbed her son. Her hands tightly grabbed his and her lip lifted in a snarl. Both boys paled at the sight of their mother. Eli started crying out when Sora ran forwards. He sharply hit Elle's wrists, causing her hands to reflexively open. He caught his brother and they both quickly scrambled out of their mother's reach. Shanks had been too shocked by her sudden violence to do anything, but it seemed like the twins had experienced this before.

Elle let out a loud gasp and her eyes abruptly opened. She glanced at the boys' faces and her expression crumbled. Elle opened her mouth and reached out to them, but then her face turned a fantastic shade of green. She quickly turned and threw herself at the rail. Shanks, expecting this, managed to grab hold of the back of her harness and kept her from falling into the ocean. He listened patiently to the sounds of her gagging and dry heaving before she pulled herself back over.

Elle slumped down next to Shanks and rested her head against his shoulder. She held her arms open and the twins obediently sat between her legs and leaned back against her. Elle wrapped her arms around them. She didn't ask what had happened, just rubbed her face on each boy's head. "What're you two doing?" she asked after a long moment.

"Questioning this old man," they chorused.

Elle let out a small chuckle and started brushing their hair back over their foreheads. "What questions are you asking Old Man Shanks here?" she asked, her voice rumbling slightly with a small purr.

"Why you're so comfortable around him," Sora said, with Eli adding, "You're never _this_ relaxed around anyone."

Elle's hands briefly paused before she resumed her stroking. "Shanks is special," she answered slowly. "Even if it's been a decade since I've seen him, I still trust him more than anybody else."

Shanks felt his chest swell with happiness, as it always had since the first time she had heard him say that. Before Shanks could say anything, both boys asked, "If you trust him so much, how come you're so mad at him?"

Elle's hands stopped completely at that. "Well," she said, straightening up and lifting her head from his shoulder. Shanks felt the loss acutely. "I trust Shanks, but I also hate him more than almost anybody."

"Why?" the twins and Shanks said, all three turning to look at Elle. She resolutely kept her amber gaze off of Shanks.

"See, this old man here not only broke my heart," she said softly, "but he gave me away." She swallowed and clenched her jaw. "Among other things."

"I didn't give you away," Shanks grumbled, gritting his teeth. "I let you go somewhere safe."

"You gave me to the Marines, even though I was a wanted pirate," she snapped, finally turning to glare at him. Shanks watched as the boys slipped out of her grasp. "You gave me away."

"You were a kid!" Shanks exclaimed. "And the Grand Line is no place for children!"

"A _kid_?" she growled, her pale brows lifting. Elle pursed her lips, her nostrils flaring. Finally, she stood up and turned to Shanks' sniper. "Yasop, why don't you go show the boys the canons?"

The twins started to say they had already seen them, but Yasop knew what Elle was implying. The sniper grabbed a boy under each arm and took them below decks. When they had disappeared from sight, Elle turned back to Shanks. "I grew up on the Grand Line, Shanks, so what worked on Luffy doesn't work for me," she growled. "That is a paltry excuse for what you did."

"The way you're reacting tells me that I did the right thing," Shanks said softly, rolling to his feet. "You were too young for what we did."

"No, Luffy was too young. I had already seen and done much worse, and you know it."

Shanks felt his anger rising. "Maybe that is why I had Garp take you," he snapped. "I didn't want you to see any more."

Elle narrowed her eyes. "No," she whispered, "you gave me to Garp so you wouldn't have to face what we did that night."

Shanks felt the tether on his anger snap. "Yes, maybe I did!" he shouted, stalking up to Elle. "You might not think so, but you were still a minor, and I took advantage of you!"

Elle laughed at this. And not her normal, deep laugh, but a bitter chuckle. "If anyone took advantage of the situation, it was me," she said darkly. Seeing his furrowed brows, Elle continued, "I knew full well what we were doing, Shanks."

"How could you have known?" he growled back. "You were still a kid and I was the adult. I should have known better."

"It was my fourth attempt," she said abruptly, shocking Shanks into silence. "The first one, I got you too drunk and you ended up passing out before I could make my move. Attempt number two ended with me getting too drunk and you having to take care of me. My third attempt neither one of us got drunk, but somehow Ben ended up smashed."

"Attempt..." Shanks trailed off. "You wanted that to happen...?"

Elle's cheeks turned bright pink. "Like I said," she said, turning away from him, "I knew what I was doing."

Shanks thought back on that night.

* * *

 _The News Coo circled down to the deck at Shanks' wave and handed him a paper in exchange for a coin. He held the paper and started skimming the articles. They had recently been in a heavy battle with the Marines, so Shanks was looking to see if anyone's bounty had increased. When he got to the middle of the paper, a few pages fluttered down to the deck. He tucked the newspaper under one arm and crouched down to pick them up. It was the most recently released Wanted Posters._

 _The first one that caught his eye was for one Fishman named Arlong; his Poster stated that the Fishman had recently been captured and taken to Impel Down. The second one brought a wide grin to his face. It was of a girl with short white hair fanning around her face, her cat ears perked forwards. She was glaring at the camera with her hand up to her mouth and her tongue just pushing past her fangs. It would have been a cute picture, were it not for the fact that the girl was covered in blood. Having been there at the time it was taken, Shanks knew that not a drop of that blood was her own._

 _Looking down from the picture, Shanks read the text at the bottom:_

WANTED: Dead or Alive

Hell Cat Elle

of the Red-Hair Pirates

B 28,000,000

 _28 million Berry was an impressive first bounty, and Shanks knew Elle would be proud. He glanced up to see what she was doing. The sight of her made Shanks chuckle; if only the Marines could see his Hell Cat now. She was curled up on the fore-deck in her Cat Form, sleeping with her front paws wrapped around her fluffy tail. Shanks quietly walked over to her and sat down. When he set his hand on her side, Elle sighed deeply and rolled onto her back so that he could rub her stomach. If it wasn't for the loud purrs rolling out of her chest, Shanks would have thought she was a dog._

" _Hey, little one," he said softly, giving her a small shake. One sleepy amber eye opened up to peer at him. "Got a birthday present for you from our dear friends, the Navy."_

 _Elle rolled over, shifting into her normal form as she sat up. She rubbed her eye with the heel of one hand and ran the other through her messy hair. She was wearing only a band of white wrapped around her chest and a pair of white shorts. Both items of clothing were incredibly stretchy, forming to her body even in her full cat-form. Shanks picked up the shirt that Elle had been laying on and handed it to her. She pulled it over her head before giving Shanks a small smile._

" _Wha'dya mean, a present from the Navy?" she mumbled. In response, Shanks held up her Wanted Poster. All sleep vanished from her being as she lunged towards Shanks. The force of her movement sent Shanks crashing backwards, with her on top of him. Elle snatched the paper from his hand as she sat on his stomach. A wide grin spread across her face, highlighting her small fangs. "I'm wanted!" she shouted excitedly._

 _Elle glanced down at him before she reached down and abruptly hugged Shanks. Her laughter was infectious and Shanks couldn't help but join in with her. He sat up and wrapped his arms around Elle. She pulled back from their embrace and grinned at him. She leaned forwards and lightly pressed her lips against his. Elle had been getting more and more affectionate in the recent months, and often had given him small kisses her and there. But that kiss was different, felt different even as she pulled back again. Her cheeks were tinted pink and she gave him a small smile._

* * *

Shanks hadn't thought anything about that kiss, just figured that she was finally completely comfortable around him. But he had obviously been wrong.

Shanks scowled down at Elle and ran his hand through his hair. "That doesn't matter," he said quietly. "I should have stopped before anything happened."

"Tch," Elle clicked her tongue and looked away from him. "That's not the point, Shanks. You still gave me away."

Shanks couldn't help the growl he made. "Yes, I gave you away!" he shouted, not caring that his crew was slowly gravitating onto the deck. "But, evidently, it was the best choice, as you stayed with the Marines."

Elle's shoulders stiffened and her tail stopped its angry swishing. "What?" she asked quietly.

"You knew where we would be," Shanks answered, just as quiet. "We stayed on Dawn Island for much longer than we needed to. The handcuffs Garp put you in had no effect on you, so you could have easily escaped and come back to us." Shanks ground his teeth together. "You didn't. Hell, you didn't even try to contact us this past decade!"

The look Elle gave him was worse than a punch to the gut. Her mouth had opened slightly and her eyebrows had furrowed. She looked appalled and hurt at his words, but what really got Shanks were the tears in her eyes. Elle's lip quivered a couple times before any expression on her face was carefully wiped away. She looked like the woman Shanks had seen at Marine Ford: emotionless and empty. Elle took in a deep breath before she calmly spoke to him.

"You're right."

* * *

 _ **A/N: I know this chapter is kind of short, but I found this a nice place to end it. To make up for it, I am also posting Chapter 8! Also, FLASHBACKS! I love them and you will be seeing many, many more as I have several ideas of events that influenced Elle and Shanks and how they act, but don't fit into the main story.**_ ** _I love reading your feedback and encouragements, so feel free to review! As always, I hope you enjoyed!_**

 ** _~Shini_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: I know I said this at the beginning of the last chapter, but I updated Chapter 3. If you don't read at least the Author's Note at the beginning of that chapter, this can be confusing. As**_ **ASN _grew and evolved in my mind, some of what I wrote almost a year ago doesn't fit anymore. So I changed it and updated the chapter that those changes affect. I hope you enjoy the updates and this chapter!_**

* * *

His words hurt worse than any wound I have received. If it had been so easy for me to become a pirate again, why would I have continued being a Marine? My chest started aching as I stared at Shanks. He was angry at me, I realized. Angry that I didn't come back. So why did he send me away in the first place? To teach me some lesson about seducing him? My whole body started to shake, and I didn't know whether I wanted to kill him or burst into tears. So then I did the safest thing and shifted into neutral. I carefully packed my emotions into a neat little box and pushed them to the back of my mind.

I felt nothing as I agreed with Shanks. "You're right." I saw surprise light Shanks' face as I added, "I couldn't."

"What do you mean?" he snapped, but the anger was quickly leaching from his voice.

I opened my mouth to answer, but the words caught in my throat when I heard Sora and Eli come onto the deck. As I was turning to look at them, I tried desperately to feel something again. Or to at least look like I did. When I saw the looks on their faces, I knew I failed. Before I could blink, they vanished and I heard a surprised grunt behind me. I turned back around and saw Shanks doubled over in pain. I tried to take a step closer towards him, but I ended up falling flat on my face. I was starting to feel again as I looked down at the ropes tied tightly around me. My arms were tied backwards behind my back and my legs were tied in three spots. Yeah, I was definitely starting to feel angry.

"Boys," I growled, "explain yourselves."

I pushed up with my shoulders and head and managed to roll over onto my side. Sora and Eli were across the deck and digging around in my bag. Completely ignoring me. I ground my teeth together and started to repeat my question. Sora interrupted me as he triumphantly pulled something out of the bag. A Transponder Snail? Why would he want that? The boys placed the Snail down on the deck and dialed a number. There was a look of intense concentration on their faces as they waited for someone to answer. The voice that came through the Snail made all the blood rush away from my face.

"Hello?" Doflamingo's voice sounded mild enough, but I knew him well enough to hear his irritation.

"Boys, what the hell are you do—" I was cut off mid-sentence by both of the boys shouting, "Doffy! You need to fix Mama!"

Doflamingo chuckled as he fondly greeted the twins, "Sora and Eli, it's been awhile." In the background of his call, I heard a few members of the Don Quixote Family also call out greetings. "What's wrong with your mother?"

"We're on a special mission—" Eli started.

Sora added, "With some pirates!"

"And the Old Man Captain made Mama—,"

"Blank out like she did on that island! And during the War!"

I was struggling to right myself as they were talking, but I finally gave up and just started rolling closer to the boys. Doflamingo's chuckle made me stop mid-roll. "Is that so," he said, sounding way too amused. "Are the pirates you're with, perhaps, the Red-Hair Pirates?"

"Yes!" both boys shouted, quickly nodding their heads up and down despite the Warlord not being able to actually see them.

This time, Doflamingo laughed so hard it made me jump and my head slam down onto the deck. When he stopped laughing, he asked, "I assume you have her tied up in some way, if you're calling me?"

I had started rolling over again when Doffy was laughing. I forced myself into a sitting position and snarled into the Snail, "What are you teaching my children?!"

Doffy chuckled again and I could see his smirk mirrored on the Snail. The bastard ignored my question and continued talking to the twins. "Boys, I need you to leave your mother tied up." Doflamingo started speaking over my curses, "And drag the Old Man closer."

I watched the boys scramble to do as he asked, frowning. "How did you know they needed to drag Red-Hair over?" I asked the Snail. My hands were starting to go numb, so I started flexing them as I leaned back against a barrel.

"You don't realize just how much the boys know you, Kitty," Doffy answered quietly. "They're smart, so I figured that they had put the two of you out of commission before calling me."

I let out a small grunt, amazed at how well the Warlord knew my children. Before I could say anything, Sora and Eli dropped Shanks in front of me. He rolled into a sitting position, looking a little green around the gills as he protectively placed his hand in his lap. Shanks' dark gaze tried to meet mine, but I turned to glare at my children. Doflamingo praised them before asking the twins to go help with dinner. Sora and Eli grumbled, but they were sharp enough to know that when Doffy asked something, it was always a demand. I let out a small hum when the children were out of earshot and the mirrored smile instantly fell off of the Transponder Snail's face.

"Elle," Doffy's deep voice drew out my name, "tell me what happened."

My chest started to hurt as the tape ripped off of my emotion-box. I quickly held it closed as I whispered, "He said I could've come back any time I wanted." I bit my lip and pulled my bound knees up to my chest. Even quieter, I added, "And he implied that I stayed because I wanted to."

I heard a weird surging sound and felt a shiver roll down my spine. Doflamingo's forehead vein always gave me the heeby-jeebies. Shanks frowned as he gave me a hard stare. "Kitty," Doffy said slowly. "You realize that there is no possible way he could know the truth, right?"

"I know!" I said sharply, my voice cracking. I pressed my forehead against my knees and repeated, quieter, "I know. But it's the same as the War. I know he couldn't have known better, but I just feel this...this—hatred—bubbling up inside of me and I don't know how to stop it."

"What are you talking about?" Shanks asked softly, his dark gaze jumping between the Snail and I.

Doflamingo let out a small snort of a laugh before he answered the Emperor's question with a question. "Didn't you ever wonder why Elle became a Marine instead of going right back to you?" Doflamingo didn't wait for Shanks to answer, the Snail's smirk growing with his. "You know that the Sea Prism Stone handcuffs that they put her in had no affect on Elle. She could have escaped any time."

My heart was starting to race, but I just pressed my lips together when Shanks shot me a puzzled glance. "I figured Garp kept too close of an eye on her," he said after a long moment. "Or that her sea-sickness was too much for her to handle. It was really bad when she left."

Doflamingo and I both snorted at the last sentence and Shanks glared at the Snail. "It wasn't sea-sickness," Doffy said crisply, "but morning-sickness. And the reason for her morning-sickness is the reason why Elle became a Marine."

"The ultimatum," Shanks whispered, referring to my orders.

"If I did anything to betray the Marines, even insubordination, could get my children taken away from me," I answered, holding Shanks' gaze until he looked away. "If I tried to get in contact with you, or if you learned about my children, they would be put to death. If they learned about who their father was, they would be put to death. If I tried to run away or become a pirate, they would be put to death. So, yes, Shanks, I did not get in touch with you at all during the past ten years." I clenched my jaw and turned away from him.

Shanks let out a small sigh and started to say my name. Doflamingo interrupted him. "Elle is not the girl you sent away, Red-Hair," he said, surprisingly serious. "She is a Marine officer with a fearful reputation of little to no mercy. But everyone who has met the _Benineko_ know that the one thing that she takes seriously is the safety of her children." Doffy let out a small chuckle. "Hell, I was her close friend for several years before she even allowed her children to be on the same island as me."

Shanks' glare hardened. "Where are you going with this, Doflamingo?" he asked slowly, his voice cold.

The surging sounded again, making my cheek and ears twitch. "The girl you knew was reckless with little regard for anyone's life besides yours," Doflamingo said, sounding irritated. "The woman sitting there would gladly tear you to shreds if she didn't need you."

Shanks' head whipped my way and I found myself holding his dark gaze. I heard the soft murmurs of his crew as they walked closer. Ben said my name softly, but I didn't look away from Shanks. What Doflamingo had said was true. "As much as she loves you," Doffy spoke my thoughts aloud, "she resents you. It would be one thing if you two had reunited before the War."

"What do you mean?" Yassop snapped, looking pissed as he stepped up to the Transponder Snail. "How could her opinion have changed that much in just one month?!"

Doflamingo and I both let out laughs. His was mirthful, but mine was nothing but bitter. "My opinion of Red-Hair Shanks changed in just a few moments," I snapped, turning my snarl on Yassop. "Five minutes. If you had been there five minutes sooner I would still have both of my little brothers!"

As one, every member of the Red-Hair pirates froze and said, "Brothers?"

"Yes, brothers!" I felt tears well in my eyes. "I watched those boys grow up! I already hate myself for not having the power to stop Ace's execution. But you!" I turned my snarl on Shanks, aware that my tears had overflowed and were running down my cheeks. "You were able to stop the whole damn War with just a few words! If you had been there five minutes sooner, Ace would still be alive!"

Still snarling, I turned away from Shanks again. I wiped my face against my shoulder and tasted blood in my mouth and a wetness on my hands. I was biting my lip and my claws had pierced the skin of my palms. I took in a deep, shuddering breath and relaxed on the exhale. I heard someone—Ben, I think—ask if I considered Ace my brother because I thought of Gold Roger as my father. I let out a small, acerbic laugh and turned to smirk up at Ben. I cut the ropes binding my wrists with my claws before I answered.

"Ace was an annoying little shit and the only thing that even remotely resembled my Captain was his inability to turn away from a fight." I paused and cut off the rest of the ropes on my arms before I continued. "And I tried to kill Luffy the first time we met. But those boys grew on me. Hell, they named my children. I helped raise them, watched them learn and grow. Ace learned how to relish being alive, and Luffy grew strong enough to protect his friends."

I wiped my face with my freed hands and let out a laugh that was more of a sob. "I had to stand back and watch my brothers die," I shouted, my voice breaking on the last word. "Why couldn't you have come sooner?! _Why did they have to suffer so much just because they were born?!"_

* * *

Shanks stared at Elle, his chest aching. She didn't hate him, Shanks realized as he watched her blood-stained tears roll out from under her hands. Elle hated herself, hated the fact that she had been powerless to stop _Akainu_ from killing Ace. Shanks jumped slightly when Elle pulled her hands away from her face with a snarl. Her pupils had narrowed almost completely, making her eyes appear all the more yellow. She was still crying and Shanks could see her hands shake as she viciously started tearing at the ropes binding her legs. His heart started to race when he saw the pale gray stripes appear on her arms and face.

Shanks placed his hand on his sword, preparing to draw it when the Transponder Snail suddenly spoke. "Elle, calm down." Elle snarled at the Snail, causing the smirk to fall from its face. The Warlord speaking through it added, "You need to regain your control, Elle. Or do you want me to come help you?"

Every inch of Elle froze and she looked at the smiling Snail. "No, you don't need to come, Doflamingo," she said quietly her voice rough from her crying. To his amazement, Shanks watched as the stripes slowly faded from her skin. "I'm fine now."

The Warlord let out an annoying chuckle. "Good. Now, go eat with your children." Elle nodded at the Snail and stood up. She took two steps, stepping out of the pile of ropes, before she paused and asked the Warlord if she should hang up. "No," he answered her, the Snail's eyes turning to look at Shanks. "I have a few words to say to Red-Hair."

Elle frowned down at the Snail for a long moment before she let out a small grunt. She told him not to say anything unnecessary before she walked off the deck. When she was out of sight, Shanks said, "you two seem close."

The Warlord barked out a laugh. "I am probably the one who knows her best." Shanks fought to keep an easy, relaxed expression on the face, but this cocky Warlord was starting to piss him off. "But you knew her fairly well," the Warlord continued, "so I assume you know why her Devil Fruit is such a nuisance to her."

"I will say, I am impressed you were able to talk her back from that ledge," Shanks said with a small chuckle. "I'm not ashamed to admit that I was genuinely worried for a moment there."

"As well you should have been. Kitty isn't exactly pleased with you at the moment." Oh, this Warlord was a _dick._ "But I digress, you know that Elle can lose control of her animal-side. What you don't know is how to control it."

As far as Shanks knew, the only way for Elle to regain control once she lost herself was for her to be rendered unconscious. But this Warlord was talking like there was a better way. "I take it you are going to enlighten me?" Shanks asked as he took a seat closer to the Snail.

The Warlord let out a laugh and Shanks had to grind his teeth together to keep from snapping. "It's only fair that I tell you, Red-Hair, as you're the one who technically discovered it." The Warlord paused and only resumed speaking when Shanks asked what he meant. "When you gave her over to Garp, Elle was strangely subdued, yes? Well, that is because you gave her the treatment."

Shanks couldn't stop the scowl that tugged at his brows. "Stop beating around the bush and just tell me," he snapped.

"Adrenaline. If Elle is able to get rid of any excess energy and adrenaline, she is able to successfully keep control as she shifts into her full hybrid-form." The smirk on the Snail's face grew even wider, if that was possible. "There are three ways we've discovered that it works: childbirth, fighting, and sex."

That shocked Shanks. "What?"

The Snail laughed, sounding way too amused for Shanks' taste. "Elle told me that childbirth had helped her the most, as she didn't lose control for over a year after she delivered the twins," the Warlord told him. "She also discovered that if she was able to fight totally unrestrained she would keep control. That is partially where she gained her reputation."

It did make sense, Shanks couldn't help but think. After a battle, Elle had always seemed more relaxed than at any other time. Well—almost. Thinking back, Shanks remembered one other time where Elle had appeared totally and entirely in control and relaxed. And he didn't like where this conversation was going, even as he quietly asked, "And sex?"

The Snail was full-on grinning at Shanks as the sound of rustling fabric could be heard over the line. "Now we're getting there!" the Warlord said excitedly. "Now this is one of our more recent findings, as we only put two and two together about three years ago. You remember the night you met Fire-Fist Ace?"

"What does that have to do with this?" Shanks snapped, his irritation almost bubbling over.

"Just answer my question, Red-Hair." The smile never left the Snail's face.

"Yes."

And he did. It had been on a winter island three years ago. Shanks remembered that they had been partying for some reason or another when a rookie pirate appeared in front of them. He had shocked Shanks by sincerely thanking Shanks for saving his baby brother. They had laughed and talked about Luffy as the Spade Pirates joined in the party.

Later that night, when they had been well and truly trashed, Ace had told Shanks that he was a much nicer dude than his big sister had told him. Confused, Shanks had tried to ask Ace more, but the kid had just gone on and on about how Shanks had supposedly broken this girl's heart by leaving her behind. He joked that Shanks was the only thing that his siblings had disagreed on. Then Ace said that he had even ran into his sister and her kids on that island earlier that day.

By then, the two pirate crews had relocated their party to a local bar, as they had run out of booze. Hearing that this mysterious sister had been on the island, Shanks wanted to go see her. A couple of very cute barmaids had distracted him, however. Shanks' attention was pulled from one of them when Ace had abruptly called out a greeting to his sister. Wanting to see this girl, Shanks had stood up, dropping the barmaid on his lap onto the ground. When Shanks had turned back to the door, he saw a wide-eyed Ben quickly hide someone behind his back.

When they had relocated, Shanks had asked Ben, Yassop, and Lucky to go gather some supplies. They must have ran into this mysterious sister of Ace's and caught up with her. But Shanks hadn't had the time to dwell on this as a loud snarl echoed throughout the room. Ben had cursed and shoved someone outside into the snow. Lucky turned around and had started talking to someone little behind him. Yassop had run out into the snow behind Ben and the sounds of a vicious animal fighting could be heard.

Ace had cursed and ran outside, leaving a stunned Shanks standing alone at the bar. The sound of flames joined into the cacophony outside. Lucky had shouted something about a Transponder Snail as Shanks sat down to finish his drink. It seemed like his crew had everything under control, so he hadn't been worried. Several minutes later, the sound of fighting stopped, but the snarls and growls continued. Ace and Yassop had walked back into the bar, both looking extremely beat up. Before he could ask what had happened, a snarled shout reverberated deep into his core.

" _SHANKS!"_

The voice had sounded familiar and Shanks had pondered it over another drink. When that had finished, there was another loud snarl outside before the noise abruptly stopped. The doors to the bar burst open and a blond man walked inside, all bull-legged. The only thing that really struck Shanks about the man (other than his walk) was his big, pink feathered coat and the sunglasses covering his eyes. The man had slowly taken in the room before he looked at Shanks. He had asked if Shanks had seen the woman who had made the fuss today. Or any children. When Shanks had answered a negative to both questions, the man had given him a small nod before sauntering out of the room.

It had been an odd experience, but Shanks hadn't thought much about it. That is, until he saw the smirk of that man mirrored on the Transponder Snail in front of him.

"Well, Elle had lost all semblance of control that day," the Warlord said, bringing Shanks out of his memories. "I had Hawkeye take the twins and I brought her home. I let her come at me with all she had, and it still hadn't been enough to calm her. That night, I had discovered what did. You see, we—,"

"That is enough," Shanks snapped, standing up. "I get what you're trying to say."

The Warlord chuckled. Again. "Good. Elle is in a very emotional place right now, Red-Hair," the man said, a shrug in his voice. "If you want to survive this mission of hers, you have three options. You can fight her or fuck her. Or you could call me and I'll take care of her."

"Thanks," Shanks ground out, trying to come across as aloof. "But I don't think we'll be taking you up on that offer."

The Warlord laughed. "If you change your mind, the twins know how to get a hold of me. Until then, Red-Hair— _buuuuuurrrrrrr...ca-lick."_ Shanks hung up the Transponder Snail and had to restrain himself from throwing the damn thing into the ocean.

He was distracted by Cook running onto the deck. The man was pale as a ghost and shouting something about bottomless pits. It took several minutes for them to get the man calmed down, thankfully deflecting Shanks from the conversation he had just had. Once Cook had calmed enough to speak, he told Shanks that the food he had prepared for the crew's dinner wasn't enough for them all to eat. He said that the twins and Elle were eating it all. Everyone laughed, the thought of a woman and two boys eating enough food for over twenty men ridiculous.

Just then, the door to the Galley opened again, highlighting Elle. She shoved a bite of something into her mouth and chewed it. Her cheeks had a rosy glow and her eyes were drooping. Shanks recognized the look as that of when she had eaten her full. Elle finished chewing and wiped her mouth off on the back of her hand. She rubbed her stomach as she walked onto the deck.

"Yeah, we need more food," she said nonchalantly. "The boys just polished off the last of dinner."

"SERIOUSLY?" every member of the Red-Hair pirates shouted, their eyes popping out of their skulls. "YOU GUYS ATE IT ALL?!"

Elle shrugged. "It wasn't that much in the first place."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Writing this chapter literally made me cry. But, then again, I sobbed like a baby during the events of the War of the Best. I hope that I was able to convey at least some of what Elle was feeling. If I did, please let me know! If you think I could do better, also let me know! If you just want to say that you loved or hated it, tell me! I love reading the reviews, so please keep 'em coming!_**

 ** _My lovelies~  
Shini_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: WARNING: There is some adult content at the end of the chapter. Nothing too serious, but we are starting to get into the main story here. So far,**_ **ASN _still maintains it's T-rating. But I could very well be changing the rating to M pretty soon. Just throwing that out there._**

* * *

I covered my mouth and swallowed a burp. It was always fun to watch the reactions of people the first time they saw how much my boys could eat. The Red-Hair Pirates were no exception. They were shouting in disbelief and a couple men ran down into the galley. They returned looking pale and amazed, giving me an astonished stare. My boys had been raised next to two bottomless pits and a group of mountain bandits. They had learned very quickly that they had to eat fast if they wanted food. Add in the fact that Garp had also taught them to eat as much as they could whenever they could, and my twins managed to eat a lot. Not as much as Luffy, but Sora and Eli certainly ate more than Ace had at their age.

I told as much to the crew as I pulled out a harpoon. I tied off the rope to the main mast, making sure that it was thoroughly secured. I also tied the life line to my harness off next to it, thanking Ben for keeping it on me while I had been sleeping. I then walked over to the edge of the ship. I crawled onto the railing and leaned over, looking down at the ocean bellow. Several men shouted and came running forwards, reaching out their arms like they were going to pull me back. I just stared at them and they slowly stopped moving.

"Uh, guys?" I asked, giving them all a wary glance. "Somethin' the matter?"

"You're on the railing, Kitten," Shanks said from the front of the group. "Sure you know what you're doin'?"

I blinked several times at the pirate. "Yeah, I think so," I said warily. I reached into my boot and pulled out one of my knives. The entire crew shouted and moved quickly, but this time they scurried away from me. I gave them a strange look and quickly slid the blade across my palm. I flexed my hand several times to get the blood pumping before flinging the blood out into the ocean. I heard someone ask what I was doing as I shoved the blade back in my boot and licked my wound. "Fishin'," I answered before pulling the harpoon on my lap. "Now, hush. I need to concentrate right now."

I took a deep breath and started focusing. I slowly started easing my _Haki_ down the harpoon and pooling it around the tip. I wasn't very good with _Armament_ _Haki_ and it took all my concentration to use it. It was never very reliable, hence the fact that Luffy had been able to punch me before I could use it. But I had just spent a little time with the Kuja Tribe and had them start teaching me how they coated their weapons. The result was I could coat a section of a blade for exactly eighty-two seconds. Which was just long enough for what I needed to do.

Once the harpoon blade was coated, I stood up and closed my eyes. I opened my _Perception Haki_ and probed the waters around us. I felt mostly fish, but—there! A Sea King! I opened my eyes and grinned at the pirates before using _Shave_ and _Moon Walk_ to stand above the Sea King. I pulled my arm back and threw the harpoon as hard as I could, aiming for the Sea King's head. The beast let out a loud roar and the ocean started turning red. My grin widened and I returned to the ship.

I took a bow before gesturing at the dead Sea King behind me. "Here," I said cheerfully, "more dinner."

I quickly closed my eyes and took several deep breaths through my nose as I started to feel a little nauseous. As I had literally just stood on the deck, I was able to adjust before I threw up. When my stomach was settled, I opened my eyes and glanced down at my palm. The cut wasn't bleeding anymore, but it wasn't quiet healed, so I gave it another lick. When I looked up from my hand, my eyes instantly fell on a male chest. I let out a loud scream and quickly back-peddled. The small of my back ran into the railing of the ship and I found myself falling backwards into the ocean. Right before my harness would have caught me, a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me back onto the ship.

I crouched down on the deck and breathed heavily for a moment before I glared up at Shanks. He just gave me a crooked grin. "I was about to compliment your _Perception Haki,_ Kitten," he said with a teasing lilt to his voice, "but obviously it's not as good as I thought.

My glare deepened into a scowl as I stood up and started unbuckling my harness. After stepping several paces away from the railing, of course. "My _Perception Haki_ is very good," I growled. "I just didn't know you were _that_ close to me."

One of Shanks' eyebrows raised as he regarded me. "Oh, it is, huh? Then how good is it?" he asked with a small smirk.

"Good enough to know that there are three—four, now—more Sea Kings thinking about eating the one I just killed. So you might wanna hurry up and bring it in, guys," I called out to his crew. I looked back at Shanks as the last of my harness' buckles came undone and it fell to the deck. "The Old Fart and Vice-Captain both say my _Haki_ got so much better because I have kids. It's nice to be able to pinpoint the exact location of them on an island and see if they're in trouble."

"Vice-Captain?"

"That's all you got out of that whole thing?" Seeing Shanks' insistent look, I let out a small sigh. "Yes, I'm talking about Vice-Captain Rayleigh."

Shanks' grin widened. "How is he doing? I haven't seen him in a while!" he said happily.

I noticed the twins walk up on to the deck, so I let out a low whistle to get their attention. "He's good; gambling a lot." I grinned as the twins walked up to us. "He's training Luffy right now."

Before Shanks could reply, the twins both chorused, "We're still hungry, Mama."

I laughed as I heard the shocked shouts of the crew. "You guys just ate," I said as I crouched down in front of them. "You gotta let everyone else eat some, too."

They gave me identical skeptical looks. Sora started, "If they were too slow to get the food—,"

"—then they don't deserve to eat," Eli finished.

"Those are the rules at home, yes," I hedged. "But we're guests here. And you can't just eat all of your host's food." They both frowned at me, so I let out a small sigh of defeat. "I just caught a large Sea King. If there's leftovers after the crew's eaten, you can have it. Deal?"

Eli and Sora exchanged looks and had a silent conversation that only happened between twins. As one, they nodded and turned back to me with wide grins. They agreed with me, so I suggested that we go take a bath while everyone ate. Sora wrinkled his nose and Eli let out a loud groan, but they both knew that it wasn't so much as a suggestion as an order. I smiled sweetly at them and stood up. I ruffled their hair and led the way into the Captain's cabin. I unerringly walked over to the attached bathroom and filled the shallow tub with hot water.

As the tub was filling, I undressed with the boys and they asked how I knew about this bathroom. I explained to them that Shanks had had it installed for me when the ship was built. The tub was deep enough to soak in, but shallow enough that a Devil Fruit user wasn't at risk of drowning. They nodded sagely at my explanation before asking why it was in the Captain's cabin if it was for me. I wet Sora's head and started washing his hair as Eli started washing his back. I told them that I had shared the cabin with Shanks the entire time I had been a pirate with him.

Finally satisfied, the boys started telling me all about the ship and crew. The switched places, still talking about how much fun they had while I was sleeping. My chest tightened the more they talked about their adventures. I couldn't tell if I was happy that they were having so much fun, or sad knowing that, as soon as my mission was over, they would never see these pirates again. I was quiet as the boys finished washing and hopped in the tub. They both turned to jello and leaned over the side, but they had happy smiles on their faces. Now that they were clean, I started washing my own hair. I was almost done when I heard the door open behind me.

"Kitten, I have a question about th—" Shanks stopped talking at the same time I stopped snarling.

I felt a panic attack welling in my chest and snapped at Shanks to get out. He spent a long moment staring at me before he murmured an apology and backed out of the bathroom. I let out a shaking breath and pressed my eyes against my knees. When I had finally calmed down, I sat up and finished my shower. The twins gave me concerned looks, but didn't say anything. They knew what had upset me so badly.

When I got wet, it countered my Devil Fruit and I was forced into my human form. I felt totally weak and defenseless as a human and didn't like being around people when human. The most common time I get wet is when I bathe. It had taken several months before I was able to take a bath with my brothers. And I had always preferred Luffy over Ace as he was in the same boat as me. Now that my brothers—brother—was older, we no longer took baths together. In fact, the twins were starting to say they wanted to try bathing alone now.

I pushed those lonely thoughts aside and slipped into the bathtub and relaxed with the twins. As we sat there, Sora started pestering me to sing them a song. Soon Eli joined him and I found both of the twins pestering me to sing for them. I hadn't sung them a lullaby in years, but they had been requesting it for the past several nights. I think it was because they missed Ace and wanted the comfort they felt when we had all lived on Mount Corvo together. I finally gave in and started singing for them.

" _Hush now, mo storin_

 _Close your eyes and sleep_

 _Waltzing the waves_

 _Diving the deep_

 _Stars are shining bright_

 _The wind is on the rise_

 _Whispering words_

 _of long lost lullabies_

 _Oh, won't you come with me_

 _Where the moon is made of gold_

 _And in the morning sun_

 _We'll be sailing_

 _Oh, won't you come with me_

 _Where the ocean meets the sky_

 _And as the clouds roll by_

 _We'll sing the song of the sea_

 _I had a dream last night_

 _And heard the sweetest sound_

 _I saw a great white light_

 _And dancers in the round_

 _Castles in the sand_

 _Cradles in the trees_

 _Don't cry_

 _I'll see you by and by_

 _Oh, won't you come with me_

 _Where the moon is made of gold_

 _And in the morning sun_

 _We'll be sailing_

 _Oh, won't you come with me_

 _Where the ocean meets the sky_

 _And as the clouds roll by_

 _We'll sing the song of the sea_

 _Oh, won't you come with me_

 _Where the moon is made of gold_

 _And in the morning sun_

 _We'll be sailing free_

 _Oh won't you come with me_

 _Where the ocean meets the sky_

 _And as the clouds roll by_

 _We'll sing the song of the sea!"_

I finished their lullaby and opened my eyes. I let out a small chuckle when I saw that both of the twins were about to fall asleep. A carefully urged them out of the tub, chiding that they couldn't sleep there. I wrapped each of them in a towel before myself and then ushered them out into the cabin. Shanks was leaning against the door and I felt my cheeks heat. He heard me for sure. I pushed my embarrassment aside as I seamlessly shifted into my partial hybrid-form. I wordlessly tossed Shanks a towel and he started to dry Sora's hair as I worked on Eli's.

We worked in silence as we dried their hair before I told them to put on their pajamas. Once the yawning boys were dressed for bed, I asked where they wanted to sleep. They both sleepily replied that they'd sleep with the crew. I nodded and urged them out of the door. Ben was waiting there with open arms and quickly picked the two of them up. He gave me a small smile before he walked off. I felt a smile of my own appear on my face as I noticed that both Sora and Eli fell asleep before the vice-captain had taken two steps.

I softly shut the door and walked over to my own bag. I pulled out my yukata and turned my back on Shanks. I dropped my towel and was about to pull the purple yukata on when Shanks' hand on my shoulder stopped me. My entire body froze as he moved my hair off of my back. When my hair was out of the way, I felt him softly trace the ink in my skin. When I had still been a member of the Red-Hair Pirates, I had gotten the jolly roger tattooed on my back, right over where my heart would be. When I had turned twenty, I had gotten the Roger Pirate's jolly roger on the opposite side. But the tattoo that I felt Shanks spend the most time tracing was the one across my shoulders. It was also a jolly roger, but instead of a skull, it was the letters 'ASL' over a crossed pair of bones. Shanks softly asked what it was for and I found myself answering before I realized I was speaking.

"My brothers' jolly roger. From when they were kids." Shanks let out a small hum of acknowledgment, even as his finger hovered over the 'S'. I said no more about it and Shanks didn't ask. Instead, I felt his hand slowly move down my back and over to my left side. He lightly touched the ugly yellow and green fading bruise on my ribs. I whispered, "I wasn't able to summon my _haki_ to shield against Luffy."

Shanks lightly nudged me around and I found my gaze held captive by his dark stare. Shanks looked down and his eyes followed his hand as it lightly traced up my side. His fingers brushed against the underside of my breast and I felt my breathing hitch. Shanks hesitated there before he continued up. He stopped on the small, almost faded, bruise on the top of my left breast. Shanks' jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth and his eyes met mine again.

"And this," he whispered huskily, " _he_ gave you this—didn't he?"

"Yes," I breathed.

Shanks made a noise that sounded like a low growl and he took a step closer to me. He was now standing close enough that I could feel his every breath against my cheek. Shanks slowly started moving his hand across my chest before sliding down my sternum. As he moved his hand, he spoke in a low voice.

"I remember everything about that night. Like what made your breath hitch—," he said as he lightly brushed against the underside of my breast again, "What made you make that delightful little noise—" I let out a small moan as his thumb brushed over my nipple, "And what you tasted like—" he finished, his voice rough.

Before I knew it, Shanks' lips were pressed against mine. I let out a small cry and instantly returned his kiss. He leaned into me, pushing my back against the wall. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tilted my head to deepen the kiss. Shanks let out a small groan and licked my lip. I instantly opened my mouth for him as his hand tightly gripped my hip. His tongue slowly, hesitantly entered my mouth as his thigh slid between my legs. As his tongue lightly explored my mouth, getting reacquainted after a decade apart, his hand leisurely moved to the apex of my thighs. He touched the right spot and I moaned into his mouth. My head leaned back and hit the wall with a loud bang.

That brought me to my senses and I pushed Shanks away from me. His dark, heady gaze met mine even as we both panted. His eye darted down to the hickey on my breast and he leaned back down towards me. I felt anger well in my chest and I shoved him back again. I shoved my knee into his gut and grabbed the collar of his cloak. I opened the door and threw him out of the cabin before he even registered the pain. As I slammed the door, I felt the tears well in my eyes. I closed them tightly and slid my back down the door. I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in them as the first sob shook my body.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I know that this chapter isn't as long as some of the previous ones, but I felt that this was a good place to stop. As always, I love to hear what you have to say and I read every review!**_

 _ **I hop you enjoyed this chapter!**_

 _ **~Shini**_


	10. Chapter 10

Shanks sat up and rubbed his chin, his stomach twisting. It wasn't from the knee that Elle had just shoved into it, no. Shanks heard her muffled sobs start on the other side of the door and knew that it was his fault that she was crying. Elle was letting out deep, heavy sobs and Shanks could feel his dinner turn to lead in his gut. He remembered hearing her cry this hard only one time, a few days after Captain Roger's execution. When the blades fell, she had screamed bloody murder, but had appeared totally empty right after. A few days later, Buggy had said goodbye to the two of them and that seemed to bring all of her guilt and heartbreak to the surface. Shanks could understand why the loss of her adopted father would cause her so much grief, but he couldn't understand why she was crying that hard now.

It hadn't taken long for Cook to finished making a second dinner from the Sea King that Elle had taken down. As Cook had been working, the words that the Warlord had spoken kept chasing each other around and around in Shanks' mind. The brought one question to mind: how many men had Elle had sex with? The Warlord's words seemed to imply that the Warlord had, and Shanks knew that he certainly had. But the Warlord had said that the first time had been three years ago, specifically mentioning that it had been seven years since Shanks had. Did that mean that they were the only two? Or, even more importantly, did that make Shanks the twins' father?

"Why don't you ask her?"

Ben's voice made Shanks realize that he had said that last question out loud. He gave his vice-captain a long look before he nodded at the man. Ben had a valid point, so Shanks pushed away from the railing he had been leaning against and walking into his cabin. He could hear the twins talking animatedly to Elle, but his mind was too preoccupied to make sense of what they were saying. Without thinking too much about it, Shanks had simply opened the door and started talking. It was an act built out of familiarity that he had lost a decade ago.

The snarl on Elle's face shocked him, even as it fell away into a scowl when she realized who had interrupted her bath. She yelled at Shanks to get out, her voice higher than normal. Shanks saw panic rising in her eyes and quickly backed out of the room. His chest felt odd. She had always been comfortable enough around Shanks that being human didn't bother her. Had he tarnished her trust so badly that he couldn't see her human anymore? Shocked, Shanks leaned against the wall next to the bathroom and lightly rubbed his aching chest. After a few minutes of silence, he heard the murmured voices of the twins before a sound of beauty.

When she had been a little girl, Elle had loved to sing and dance. She had the uncanny ability to entice everyone to join her, too. Elle's voice had been something twenty years ago, but now—It was deeper, a rolling contralto. Her voice soothed, slowing Shanks' racing heart. A smile curled his lips as he recognized the song. Captain Roger had sang it to her a few times when she had first found them. She had had several wicked nightmares and the Captain's voice had soothed her to sleep. From the small laugh that she let out when she was done singing, Shanks guessed that Elle's voice had done the same to her boys.

They had stepped back into the cabin shortly after. When her feline eyes landed on Shanks, he noticed her cheeks turn pink. Without a word, she had tossed him a towel and started drying Eli's hair. Taking a hint, Shanks had started working on Sora. It was so domestic that it was calming, even as he could feel the uneasy waves roll off of Elle. All too soon, the boys were dressed and falling asleep in Ben's arms as he took them bellow deck. Suddenly without a buffer, Shanks became painfully aware that Elle wore nothing but a towel. Not even that, after she had pulled some fabric out of her bag.

Shanks inhaled a long, silent breath as the towel that had been wrapped around her body fell to the floor. Her hair was still tied up, leaving her back bare. Shanks' heart started to race as he looked at her. Elle definitely had a woman's curves and a tiny waist. But that wasn't what instantly caught and reeled in Shanks' attention. No, that honor went to her tattoos. He had been with her when she had got the first one, his jolly roger. He lightly traced the lines, a smile on his face as he happily remembered that day. But that was no longer her only tattoo.

Opposite his jolly roger, Shanks was pleased to see Captain Roger's. The fact that she had obviously gotten it as a marine almost made him laugh. He liked seeing the two jolly rogers and knowing that they were two core pillars of who Elle had become. But those two tattoos were small compared to the one that ran across the entirety of her shoulder blades. As Shanks traced the lines inked on her back he found himself asking what it was for.

Elle's voice had been soft as she answered him. It was her brothers' jolly roger, which explained the 'A' and the 'L'. Ace and Luffy. Shanks traced the 'S' and opened his mouth to ask what—or who—it stood for, but he noticed that her shoulders subtly stiffened. Okay, she didn't want to talk about that. That was fine, as something else had caught his attention. Down below his jolly roger, Shanks noticed the tail end of a yellowing bruise. Elle murmured something about her _haki_ and Luffy, making Shanks remember that she had stood against her brother during the War.

Shanks gently maneuvered Elle around so that she was facing him. Her golden gaze held uncertainty, but she wasn't disagreeing with anything that he did. Shanks slid his hand up her side and found himself unable to keep holding her eyes. So he had looked down and felt a stirring in his groin. He could not look away as his fingers slowly moved across her body. But when he stopped at the bruise atop her left breast, Shanks felt jealousy well up inside of him. That wasn't a bruise; it was a love-bite.

Shanks met her gaze again as he asked Elle, "And this. _He_ gave you this—didn't he?"

Her answer was more a breath of air than a word. "Yes."

Jealousy had filled his entire body and Shanks found he wanted to punish Elle. So he lightly teased her body as he spoke to her. "I remember everything about that night. Like what made your breath hitch—" rubbing the underside of her breast. "What made you make that delightful little noise—" _yes, that one,_ as she let out a small moan when his thumb brushed across her nipple. "And what you tasted like."

Shanks was unable to hold himself back. He had kissed her roughly, enjoying the way she had welcomed him. And she had welcomed him, pulling him deeper into the kiss. So why had Elle kicked him out of the room? What had Shanks done that had upset her so much? Shanks frowned at the door to his cabin and turned away from it with a small growl. Shanks had to stop abruptly when he almost ran into his vice-captain.

"She still loves you," Ben murmured softly. "Don't forget that, Captain. This is not some game with her. It's not a competition to see who gets to have sex with Elle."

Ben turned away and left Shanks standing alone before he could respond. He let out a slow sigh and leaned back against his cabin's door. Shanks waited until her heaving sobs slowed to small sniffles before she walked away from the door. When he could no longer hear Elle crying, Shanks pushed way from the door and went to see her children.

Sora and Eli were curled up together in a hammock, Sora curled protectively around Eli. Shank smiled slightly and lightly brushed the white hair off of Sora's forehead. Asleep, he definitely was the spitting image of his mother. They both were. But when they were awake, they hardly looked like Elle at all. No, Shanks thought with a rueful smile, they look more like their father. Looking down at Eli's deep red hair, Shanks felt the reality sink in. He was the father of the twins, even if he didn't want to admit it to himself. Shanks had made a mistake letting things go too far with Elle that night, but he didn't regret it. What he regretted was sending Elle way. He had missed out on helping to raise his own children and it left a bitter taste in Shanks' mouth.

Seeing how well Elle handled the two of them, seeing how the three of them worked as a family—Shanks knew that he was not needed. And it made his heart ache deep in his chest, because Shanks knew that as soon as he helped Elle catch this bastard, he would never see his children again. Shanks wasn't sure which was worse. Being unaware of your children—

Or being aware of them but knowing that you will never see them again.

* * *

 _Apparently, on Mt. Corvo, you are only allowed to eat the meat that you yourself killed. Elle glared down at the pitiful bowl of rice the Ginger-haired woman named Dadan slammed down in front of her. When she had pointed out that she was eating for two, Dadan had just shrugged and said rules were rules. So Elle had asked if she caught some meat, if the bandits would cook it. When Dadan had agreed, Elle went outside and caught a deer within five minutes. That was when the two little brats of Garp's had started to take an interest in her._

 _The next day, Elle learned that she needed to quickly follow the boys out into the woods or Dadan would try and give her chores. She followed the two boys at a distance. Elle was trying to stay as far away from Garp's grandson as she could, as she was forbidden from killing the little shit. But she was curious about Captain's son. He seemed to hate his father, despite having never met the man. Elle revered the Captain, so she wanted to know why. When Ace had successfully lost the little shit thanks to a rock slide, Elle sped up until she was jogging next to Ace._

 _He had scowled at her, but didn't say anything as they ran together. When they came to a river, as they were jumping across it on some rocks, Ace had given Elle a surprise kick to the side. She fell into the water, which was thankfully pretty shallow. She was in no danger of drowning, but found herself completely unable to move in the water. The surface that she had landed on shifted around and Elle was pushed out of the water. She quickly sat up and vomited into the water. When she was done, she looked up into the mouth of a crocodile._

 _It was fear that made her lose control of her form, and Elle found herself to be a little kitty staring into rows and rows of sharp teeth. She let out a startled yowl as the crocodile ate her in one bite. It was dark and the acid of the beast's stomach hurt her paws. But a deep rage filled her tiny body until it exploded out. Literally. Elle shifted into her hybrid-form faster than she ever had before, making the crocodile explode around her. She flicked the remaining acid off of her hands and snarled at the shocked crocodiles surrounding her._

 _Elle had killed them all, and she ended up dragging a few back to the bandits' house for dinner. She called out to Dadan that she was back and ignored the shocked shouts of the bandits as she threw the two reptiles at them. She growled at Chicken-Head and Tiny-Meal that she would be taking a bath and was not to be disturbed. Washing had hurt terribly and Elle noticed that the stomach acid had burned her hands and feet pretty bad. Elle filled the tub halfway with cool water and carefully stepped in. The relief outweighed the discomfort of the water._

 _She had ended up falling asleep and only woke up because she smelled cooking meat. She managed to open the drain and was able to step out of the tub when it was empty. She dried off and went to put her clothing back on. Elle was shocked when she realized that it was clean and folded. There was a note placed on top of it saying that some dude named Mogura had washed them for her. Mogura... Oh, that was Chicken-Head's name. Elle quickly put on her tight-fitting white tank-top and shorts, but found herself unable to put on the rest. Her hands really hurt. Clutching the rest of her clothing to her chest, Elle hobbled into the house and sat down next to the cooking pit._

 _Chicken-Head and Tiny-Meal started freaking out when they saw her injuries, yelling about how they hadn't noticed with all of the crocodile blood. Dadan seemed more shocked by Elle's clean appearance than she had been by her bloody one. As Chicken-Head started treating and binding Elle's feet, Dadan commented that Elle really was a woman. Elle was confused until she looked down. Her clothing had always been really loose and baggy, but not her underclothes._

 _The tank-top was fitted close to Elle's chest like a second skin and ended at her ribs. Her growing breasts were clearly outlined, along with the triple scars bisecting her stomach, which was starting to swell as well. Her shorts were as tight as her top and truly worthy of the name. They were slung low on her hips, allowing her tail to rest comfortably outside of them, and they weren't any longer than the width of her hands. Both items of clothing were made out of a special material that conformed to her body, no matter which form she was in._

 _Elle scowled up at Dadan and muttered that of course she was a woman. Unable to take the stares of the bandits anymore, she jerked her feet out of Chicken-Head's hands. She grabbed the bandages as well and finished bandaging her feet by herself. Once that was done, Elle curled her legs up under her and started working on her hands. A ruckus sounded behind her, but the only sign that Elle had noticed were her ears turning towards the noise. She finished binding her left hand, but had to focus harder on her right. Elle had never been very good at doing things with her non-dominant hand. So when a little finger poked her back, she let out a loud shriek._

" _What the hell are you doing, twerp?" she snarled, twisting to look down at Garp's Grand-Brat._

 _The boy gave her a wide grin and shoved Shanks' hat down further on his head. "Are you a fan of Shanks and them?" he asked excitedly._

 _Elle stared at him warily. She had tried to kill the kid twenty-four hours ago and yet he was calmly talking to her. "I'm not a fan," Elle said slowly. She turned around to face the brat as she started working on her hand again. "I am—was—a member."_

 _The brat frowned at her. "Are you sure?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "Cuz I don't remember you."_

 _Elle snarled at the brat, but was disappointed that he didn't react. "Shanks gave me to the Old Fart before he met you," she growled._

" _Huh."_

 _The brat didn't say anything more, but was clearly still not convinced. Elle felt her hackles raise. She didn't like not having this shit believe her. So she started to tell him stories about growing up with Shanks and his crew. The brat's face lightened up and he seemed to enjoy her stories immensely. He would even comment how it was just like Lucky Roo to distract her to steal her meat or for Yassop to bet that she wasn't strong enough to last through an entire tattoo. Then he started telling Elle stories about what the Red-Hair Pirates had gotten up to while in Windmill Village._

 _Elle stared at the boy for a moment before she turned her head and sniffed. "You're all right, for a brat," she said roughly. "I guess I can share some of my meat with you."_

 _The brat smiled brightly at her and started running around, shouting about meat. One of the bandits hit him on the head, but the blow just bounced right off of the kid. The Old Fart had told Elle that the boy had eaten the Gum-Gum Fruit, so he was a rubber-man. Elle had half-expected it to be a total farce, but obviously it wasn't. After just being hit on the head by a fully grown man, the little brat was still running around talking about how he wanted his meat now. Elle had to bite her lip to keep from grinning. The kid was entertaining, that was for sure._

 _She suddenly stood up and grabbed the knife out of the belt of the nearest bandit. She threw it right before the door opened, revealing Ace. The knife landed hilt-deep in the wall next to his head. "You little shit!" Elle shouted, grabbing more knives. "Because of you, I was eaten!"_

 _She threw the knives one after the other and all but the last one missed the shit. The last one grazed his cheek, right bellow his wide eyes. "What the hell?" he shouted back, pressed against the wall. "I did not!"_

" _You pushed me into crock-infested water! What did ya expect to happen!" Elle grabbed one last knife and threw it behind her. The brat behind her stopped laughing and yelled at her for almost hitting him. "I don't miss!" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yassop taught me, so I have incredible aim. If I wanted to hit ya, I would've."_

 _Elle could hear the brat gulp behind her. The little shit in front of her mirrored Elle's stance and scoffed. "It's you're own fault if you're dumb enough to get eaten," he said with an evil smirk. "By the way, I know they're big, but they're not_ that _big, so how'd a crock eat you?"_

 _Elle turned away from him, even as she felt her cheeks heat. "It's none of your business." The shit scoffed again and Elle snarled, throwing herself at him._

* * *

With a groan, I pushed myself up off of the floor and rubbed my sore head. I glared at the wood before I untangled my legs from the sheets. I wish I could say that was the first time I've woken myself up by acting out my dreams, but I pride myself on not lying. Once free of the accursed sheet, I threw it on the bed before I peeled out of my _yukata._ I took care of my bodily needs and splashed some water on my face. The dark circles underneath them looked very nice next to my puffy, red eyes. I snarled at the mirror and stalked out of the bathroom.

I fixed my hair into a tighter braid and changed into my usual workout clothing. I put on my best bra before pulling on my older tank-top. Despite being older than my children, the top had only faded into more of a gray than white and had fully retained its form and stretchy-ness. My shorts, on the other hand, had died years ago. They were not the only casualty when Dogra had to do the laundry when Mogura came down with a severe cold. So I had begged and pleaded (read: threatened and annoyed) the Old Fart until he had bought me a knew pair. The new ones even matched the new color of the tank-top.

I quickly taped up my hands and feet before I walked out of the cabin. The sun was just starting to rise, so the ship was silent. I spotted Yassop leaning against the main mast, obviously on watch, and gave him a quick wink as I opened the door to the crew's quarters. It didn't take me long to look over the large room of snoring males before I found the twins curled up together in a hammock. They were both snoring slightly and Eli had drooled a little in his brother's hair, making a spot of Sora's white hair slightly darker.

"Aw, so cute~," I whispered as I looked down at them. "Sleep time's over, time to train!" I abruptly shouted as I flipped the hammock over.

The twins both screamed as they fell into the hammock bellow them, along with multiple others. The twins started whining until they took one look at my face. The boys let out identical sighs before murmuring that they'd meet me up on the deck. I gave them both a kiss on the forehead before I skipped out of the room. When I was on the deck, I started doing some stretches. I watched as members of the crew slowly started filing out onto the deck. I received more than one appreciative look as I continued my stretching. Most Marines who had seen me stretch before had given me similar looks, so it was easy enough to ignore them.

The twins came out onto the deck and I smiled widely at their scowls. My smile faltered when Shanks appeared behind them. I quickly turned my face down to the deck and breathed in deep, the smell of salt and wood filling my lungs. As I released my breath, I pulled myself up straight and rolled out of my split. I rolled my shoulders before walking over to the twins. Ignoring Shanks, I told them to stretch so that they wouldn't hurt themselves as we worked. Shanks was staring hard at me, making my skin crawl. Finally, I turned to him and asked why he was staring at me.

"Did you fall out of bed this morning?" I blinked several times before giving Shanks a confused scowl. He reached up and lightly brushed my forehead, saying, "because you have a bruise on your forehead."

I felt my face turn bright red and quickly smacked his hand away. Shanks started chuckling at me, so I snarled at him before turning back to the twins. They were both covering each others mouths and their shoulders were shaking with the effort it was taking them not to laugh. I snapped at them to get back to their stretching or I was going to increase their workout. Both boys instantly sobered, their dark eyes going wide, before quickly resuming their stretching.

While the twins moved through the movements I had just finished, I climbed up part of the rigging. Making sure I was still safely over the deck, I twisted my legs around the rope and let go. Hanging upside down, I called out for Yassop to toss my bag up to me. I caught the green zebra-stripped bag by the white strap and held it with both my arms straight above my head. Keeping my elbows locked, I started doing sit-ups. When I reached twenty-five, my feet had gone numb. When I hit fifty, my arms started to shake. At seventy-five, my stomach was getting sore. At one hundred, I dropped the bag onto the deck and grabbed onto the rigging. I de-tangled my legs and, with a quick flip, landed on the deck in a perfect Y.

I turned back to the twins and felt my lips split into a wide grin. "Now," I said to them, placing my hands on my hips, "time to get started!"

It was my turn to laugh when they both let out resigned groans.

* * *

Shanks and the rest of his crew watched in silence as Elle did her sit-ups. It was simply amazing watching her muscles flex as she curled up and touched her toes and release as she slowly relaxed. The movement was fluid and graceful despite the quick pace. Shanks had counted over seventy sit-ups before he saw the first beads of sweat appear on her skin. As he watched her uncurl, a single drop rolled down her nose and up over the small blue spot on her forehead. Earlier, when she had approached the twins, Shanks had spotted the bruise and couldn't keep his amusement to himself.

When Elle had been younger, she would often act out her dreams and injured herself on more than one occasion. Seeing the bruise on her forehead, Shanks asked if she had fallen out of bed again. Her face turned bright red as she gave him an outraged stare, confirming Shanks' guess that she hadn't grown out of her vivid dreams. The twins also appeared amused by her reaction, making Shanks think that it was something that happened a lot. Elle had glared at Shanks before snapping at the boys to stretch if they didn't want her to increase their workout. Sora and Eli had appeared terrified of the prospect, perking Shanks' curiosity. How bad were her workouts to inspire such fear?

That was why Shanks found himself watching the Cat-Woman as she did her sit-ups. She uncurled and dropped her bag in one swift movement before rolling into another sit up. Her bag landed on the deck with a heavy _thunk!_ as she grabbed onto the rigging around her feet. Elle quickly untangled herself from the rope and kicked her legs over her head. That sent her into a beautiful front-flip and she landed gracefully on the deck with her arms extended straight above her head. The smooth movement brought attention to her body and Shanks found himself unbalanced.

When she had been little, she had often shifted between her Hybrid- and Cat-forms, bringing up the problem of clothing. Her constant shifting meant she was naked more often than not, so the Roger Pirates had quickly started looking for clothing that she could wear in every form. The result had been a stretchy fabric turned into a tank-top and shorts that Elle had worn underneath her clothing. When she had first got it, the shirt fit her torso perfectly and the shorts fell to her mid-thighs. As she grew taller, she was still able to wear them (because they were so stretchy), but they became increasingly shorter. The last time Shanks had seen them, the top ended just above her bellybutton and the shorts at the tops of her thighs. But that had been ten years ago.

Now the tank-top barely reached her ribs, more breast-band than shirt. The shorts were—indeed—very short, not even reaching her thighs in the front and giving one a delightful taste of her perky ass. The clothing—or, rather, lack thereof—screamed at Shanks just how much Elle had changed in the past decade. Last night he had noticed her body was different, but seeing her in the light, he noticed just how much. He knew it was still Elle's, had the same scars across her belly and tattoo on her back. But her waist was small, her hips wide and breasts large. But Shanks also noticed that he could see several of her ribs and her hip bones were clearly visible above her shorts. As he stared at her, Shanks watched sweat roll down her back, sliding over noticeable vertebrae. Shanks definitely enjoyed looking at her, but he had a small nagging part that wondered if she had always been so skinny.

Shanks was tempted to ask about her weight, but thought better of it when she gave him a sharp glare. She sniffed before looking down at her boys. Placing her fists on her sharp hips, the grin she gave the twins could be described as nothing short of demonic. "Now, time to get started!" she said, way too much enthusiasm in her voice than anyone should have so early in the morning. She laughed when the boys groaned, an evil glint in her yellow eyes.

Before Shanks could blink, all three of them dropped to the deck and started doing push-ups. Shanks counted eighty-four before he lost track, and still they kept going. After a few minutes had passed, the boys rolled onto their backs and bent their knees. Elle pushed herself into a sitting position and held Sora and Eli's feet down as they started doing their own crunches. After another couple of minutes, they were done and the three of them stood up. Elle held her arms out straight and the boys jumped up and grabbed on. Eli was on the right and Sora was on the left. Shanks felt his eyes widen as Elle started doing lunges across the length of the deck as the boys did pull-ups on her arms.

On her third lap, Shanks noticed most of his crew stopping to watch the Cat-Woman's progress. On her fifth, there wasn't a mouth closed. On her eighth and final lap, the crew was watching with their eyes almost popping out of their heads. The twins dropped from her arms and flopped down on the deck, breathing hard. Elle brushed the back of her hand over her forehead, wiping off the sweat. Her face was flushed and her cat-eyes had a contented glint. Her full mouth was open as she breathed heavily, showing the small hint of her fangs. Shanks had seen her look like that before, ten years ago—And, dammit, now he needed a cold shower. He was too damn old to be pitching tents left and right like a teenager.

"Now that we're warmed up," Elle said, her voice breaking the harsh silence that had fallen on the ship, "Let's—"

"Wait just a second, Kitty-Cat," Yassop said, stepping up to Elle. "That was just a warm up?"

Elle gave Yassop a long, level stare and rested her hands on her hips. "Yes?" she answer, though her voice held a questioning tone. "Do you think I was too easy on them? I toned it down since we haven't had a full workout in about a month."

"THAT WAS TONED DOWN?!" every man shouted, their eyes literally popping out of their skulls.

Elle's eyes widened and she took a wary step back. Before she could answer, the twins glared at the crew. Sora said, "Don't give her any ideas," and Eli added, "Mama hardly ever goes this easy on us."

"THAT'S NOT EASY!" the men shouted, holding out their hands.

Elle covered her mouth and turned away from everybody. Her thin shoulders—Shanks was really starting to get worried, as the longer he looked at her the skinnier she seemed—started to shake. Shanks took a hesitant step towards Elle and held up his hand, but she shocked him enough that the pirate Captain fell back on his ass.

"Nyahahaha!" Elle burst out, unable to hold her laughter in any longer. She clutched her stomach and leaned over, still laughing even as she gasped for air. After several minutes, Elle sobered enough to say, "You guys obviously have never trained with the Old Fart."

"Was Garp strict?" Shanks asked, pulling himself back to his feet.

The laughter faded from Elle's face as she glanced at Shanks. Did he guess wrong that Garp was the 'Old Fart' she mentioned? He had remembered her calling Garp that several times when she was younger, but that didn't mean that was what she still called him. "In a sense," Elle finally answered. "No one can escape his Fist of Love, after all. But all of the boys said I was the worse teacher."

All of the boys? Did she mean her twins, Luffy, and Ace? Before Shanks could ask, Eli said, "Coby called her an old hag one time—"

"—and Mama made him run until he physically couldn't anymore," Sora finished.

Everyone turned and stared at Elle, which made her blush slightly. "It would have been worse if it was Helmeppo," she blurted. "At least I know Coby didn't mean it."

"Who are Coby and Helmeppo?" Shanks asked. He heard his men shout that that wasn't the right question, but he just ignored them.

"The Old Fart's apprentices," Elle answered, tugging her hair free. She pulled it up into a tail before spinning it around and around until she was left with a tight coil and tied it in place. She glanced at Shanks and added, "You've met Coby."

An apprentice Marine that Shanks had already met? Was she talking about that boy from Marineford, the pink-haired one not older than Luffy? Thinking back, Shanks remembered that a voice had shouted that name right as Shanks blocked _Akainu_. Elle looked fond of the two apprentices when she mentioned them. On a much smaller scale than when Shanks had seen her talk about Luffy, but fond nonetheless. It appeared that she like the two boys, enjoyed training them. Shanks felt his brows furrow as he frowned. Elle had seemed fond whenever she talked about her job as a Marine. He felt her hostility towards Shanks for being sent away. But did she resent becoming a Marine?

Shanks stared at the Cat-Woman and wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer. If he had found her shortly after she left and asked her to come back, Shanks knew that she would have accepted in a heartbeat. If he had asked her three years ago on that fateful night, Shanks felt that she would have declined. Three years ago, his little Hell Cat would have chosen to remain as the _Benineko_. If Shanks were to walk up to Elle right now and ask her to stay with him—forget about her orders and just become a pirate again—how would she respond?

Would she be happy and accept? Would she scoff and act like she didn't want to, but join anyway? Or would she tell him no? As Shanks watched his Kitten smile and fondly brush the hair out of their twins' eyes, he was certain that he did not want to know the answer.

At least, not yet.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Ten chapters. Wow. I don't think I've ever written a fanfic this long, so thank you for sticking around! Lately, I've felt so inspired to write both this and my novel and it has been wonderful!**_

 _ **This chapter is the longest one I've ever posted, almost 10 pages in Word. But it is only so long because the first spot I considered stopping at was only about 2,000 words or so and I felt that was too short. And then I just got sucked into writing that next thing I knew it was almost 6,000! So I hope you guys enjoy this super chapter!**_

 _ **~Shini**_


	11. Chapter 11

"Okay, boys, you or me?" My sons glanced at me when I talked, but neither one of them stopped drinking. They just pointed at me, so I nodded and asked, "Blindfolded?"

In perfect sync, the boys drained their cups, brushed their hand across their mouths, and exhaled before they said, "The catch?"

I took a drink from my own cup before I said, "No Devil Fruits." I chuckled softly when the twins scowled at me and added, "You can use weapons, though. That okay?"

Sora and Eli both grinned at me before they ran off to get their weapons. I smiled after them before I pulled myself to my feet. After Shanks had asked about Coby and Helmeppo, he had gone strangely quiet. So I decided to ignore him and tried to ask about the blindfold, but Ben had interrupted me. The Vice-Captain had said that we needed to stop to hydrate and catch our breath before he would let us continue our training. I had snarled at him, but the twins had still been flushed, so I relented. I was sincerely regretting that decision as my muscles were screaming at me because of the inactivity.

I smacked my thighs twice before I walked over to my bag. I opened the white flap and started digging around in it. I finally found an old red sash and pulled it out of the bag. I held it up to the sun and couldn't see through it, so I deemed it an acceptable blindfold. I noticed the twins come back on the deck, so I shut the bag and leaned it against the mast. I waited until the twins were in front of me before I tied the sash around my head. I waited a moment for Sora and Eli to do whatever it is they did to test to see if I could see them. When they were finally satisfied that I couldn't see them, Sora told me and I stood up. One of the boys—Eli, I'm sure—grabbed my hand and led me out to the open area of the deck.

I took a deep breath and rolled my shoulders before I widened my stance. I heard one of the men ask what we were doing, but I ignored him. I could feel the twins as they circled around me. In the span of a heartbeat, I felt Sora launch himself at me. I pivoted my hip, smoothly dodging, and smiled as I felt Sora fly by. I leaned down, kicking my right leg up behind me, and felt Eli soar over my back. I twisted my left leg and kicked Sora into his brother. I put my leg back down and smirked in the direction of the twins.

"You two are gonna hafta try harder than that!" I taunted, using my tail to wave at them.

I heard the twins both growl before they launched a joint attack. Instead of dodging, this time I crossed my arms and blocked their kicks. I grinned at them before I pushed my arms out, sending them flying away from me. It sounded like they landed pretty hard, so I let my guard down for a moment. But a moment was all Sora needed to throw his weapon at me. I tilted my head to the side at the last moment, but the weapon left a small scratch on the bridge of my nose. I raised my eyebrows and turned in Sora's direction. I started to praise him, but two things happened that made my words die in my throat.

I suddenly felt Eli drop down on top of me, heard the sound of his _kunai_ whistling through the air. He must have used his brother as a distraction while he climbed up the rigging to—literally—get the drop on me. Later I would feel pride that they were able to surprise me. But at that moment, I was busy. I brushed Eli's arm away from me, twisting my hand so that I had a hold on his _kunai._ In the same moment, I grabbed the back of Eli's shirt and pulled him behind me. I spun the _kunai_ around so that I was holding its handle, being careful not to drop it with my blood-slick hand. Before Eli's feet touched the ground, I threw the knife and heard it embed itself into the mast.

Along with a male scream of terror.

* * *

Shanks wasn't sure what to think when he saw Elle pull a (strangely familiar) red sash out of her bag and hold it up to the light. She appeared satisfied with it as she nodded and closed her bag. The twins approached her and she smiled at them before tying the sash over her eyes. Why was she blindfolding herself? And why were the twins making such ridiculous faces? Where did those chopsticks come fro—THAT IS NOT HOW YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO USE CHOPSTICKS! WHY WOULD YOU PUT THEM UP YOUR NOSE AND INSIDE YOUR LIP? IT LOOKS LIKE IT SHOULD HURT.

The rest of his crew seemed just as stunned by the twins' actions, too shocked to even laugh at the funny sight. Before any of the men could recover, the twins removed the chopsticks and grinned at each other. Eli grabbed his mother's hand and led her out into the middle of the deck before moving several feet away from her. It seems that the twins weren't the only ones who could sync up as all three of them moved into identical fighting stances at the exact same time. Ben asked what they were doing, but Elle's ears pivoting towards him was the only clue that someone had heard him.

What happened next could only be described as beautiful. The boys started fighting their mother, their brows drawn together in identical looks of pure concentration. And no matter what they did, Elle was able to easily dodge or block them. She was obviously having fun, her grin only widening when she taunted her children. The smooth way that all three of them moving was more than enough proof that this was something that they did often. Shanks could tell that Elle wasn't taking the fight seriously, that she was just using this as an exercise for her children to gain real fighting experience. But that didn't mean she couldn't get hurt.

Shank took an involuntary step forwards when Sora threw his dagger, but let out a sigh of relief when Elle avoided it. But not fast enough, Shanks thought when he saw a thin line of blood appear on the bridge of her nose. He opened his mouth to call the whole thing off, but felt the words die in his throat when he saw the look of pure pride on her face. Elle unerringly turned her face towards Sora and started to praise him. But she was cut off by a small red blur that dropped onto her from the rigging above.

Shanks saw the smile fall from her face first, leaving a blank slate. She grabbed Eli's _kunai_ knife and the boy at the same time, and Shanks saw blood drip out of her clenched hand. Then Elle spun her son behind her and safely place him on the deck. Simultaneously, she maneuvered the blade so that she was holding it correctly and threw it before Eli's feet touched wood. The _kunai_ flew through the air and landed deep in the mast...

Right above Rockstar's head.

The man dropped Elle's bag with a scream and fell back. Shanks started to get a bad feeling and nervously glanced at Elle. She wasn't frowning, exactly, but her lips were pursed. Her ears lay flat against her head and Shanks saw her tail angrily swishing. Shanks felt his anxiety increase when he saw light gray stripes appear all over Elle's body, almost like a tiger's. Elle reached up and pulled the sash free, leaving a smear of crimson on her white hair. Any lack of emotion on Elle's face was made up for by tenfold in her eyes. Her golden cat-eyes were furious and glacial as she looked at Rockstar.

"Listen here, newbie," she softly said, her voice slightly deeper than normal. Speaking, Shanks could see that her fangs had lengthened, and glancing down at her hands revealed that her claws had as well. "I'm willing to cut ya a little bit of slack, seeings how you obviously have no idea who I am—"

"I know who you are," Rockstar interrupted, standing up to his full height. "You're the _Benineko,_ one of the most notorious Marines on the Grand Line. You are known for your lack of mercy for anyone. I know that you have never let a pirate slip through your grasp once you've set your sights on them. And I know I will not let you betray my captain."

Oh, no, Rockstar, this was not the time to assert your loyalty. Shanks closed his eyes and winced. Even as he nonchalantly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, Shanks didn't dare step between Elle and his man. At least, not until he knew that she was going to try and kill Rockstar. There were a few new members of the Red Hair Pirates, men who weren't around at the same time as Elle. It didn't surprise Shanks that Elle knew Rockstar was the newest any more than it was Rockstar who finally challenged Elle's right to be on Shanks' ship.

Shanks opened his eyes again just in time to see the small smirk curl Elle's lips. It was nothing like what she had shown her children just moments before. This smile was little more than a small curve of her lips, but it screamed the malevolence that was starting to pour off of Elle. She coyly tilted her head to the side and took a step closer to Rockstar. The man paled slightly, but stood his ground. The tip of Elle's tongue appeared and licked the point of one of her fangs. She truly looked like the cat who had finally cornered the mouse.

"You know who the _Benineko_ is and yet you still stand before me like that?" Elle let out a laugh that made all of the hair on Shanks' body stand at attention. "You're right," she purred, her smile growing slightly. "I don't show mercy. And yet you're still alive. If I was going to betray Red-Haired Shanks, why would I bother to avoid killing you when you touched my belongings."

"Avoid?" Rockstar laughed, but Shanks could see him start to sweat. "You missed me because you were blindfolded."

Elle giggled and looked over at Yassop. "What do you think, Yacchin? Did I miss?" she asked sweetly.

Shanks' sniper paled and took a step back, but he knew that it was best to not get on Elle's bad side when she was like this. "You never miss, Kitty-Cat," he murmured, shooting a worried glance at Shanks. Shanks took the cowardly rout and quickly looked away from his Sniper.

"You see, newbie?" She turned back to Rockstar, who opened her mouth to interrupt her again. All traces of amusement fell from Elle's face and she snarled, "Shut up. I am going to say this one time and , if you ignore me, I will not hesitate to tear you apart." Rockstar paled and Shanks knew he was thinking about what Elle did at Marineford. Elle's smirk returned and Shanks' shoulders relaxed slightly. "Good boy. Now, no one is to touch my belongings unless I give them explicit permission."

Elle slowly closed the distance between her and Rockstar and grinned up at him with her arms clasped behind her back. "Also know that no matter how much I hate Shanks, I still respect him. I would never betray Shanks because I owe him more than you could ever know. So," she said, her voice honey-sweet. "Listen to _Sempai_ , yeah? And stay the fuck away from me."

Faster than Shanks could blink, Elle punched Rockstar in the face and knocked the man out cold. She sniffed at his body before she grabbed her bag and carefully examined it. No one on the ship dared to move, dared to do more than breathe, until Elle's body decompressed. As the stripes slowly faded from her body, Shanks cautiously approached her. He crouched down next to her and slowly reached out. He softly rubbed her ears the way that had always made her melt and was relieved when she didn't push him away.

Shanks knew that Elle did not like getting so upset about something so trivial. But he also knew why something so simple upsets her as much as it does. Before the Roger Pirates had taken her in, before the Pirate King had adopted Elle, her life had been rough. Worse than rough, if the little she had told him over the years were any indication. The girl had had nothing to call her own. Hell, she didn't even have a name when they found her. When she had been little, Elle had gone into a hissy fit (literally) any time someone touched something that was hers. It wasn't until she was older that Elle had explained that she was always terrified that everything she had gained would be taken away from her at any moment. More than twenty years had passed since that fateful day, and it seemed that Elle was still afraid that she would go back.

It probably didn't help matters that they were going after the man who had given her that fear.

His name was Brutus and he had been one of the top scientists on Punk Hazard, working directly under Vega Punk. But Brutus had no sense of morality and his experiments had been so unethical that even Caesar Clown had found them abhorrent. And Caesar went on to basically blow up the island, so you can imagine just how twisted Brutus' experiments were. Shanks didn't know the details of all of them, but he did know that Brutus had been trying to find a way to counter-act the side effects of eating a Devil Fruit.

He had gathered several Devil Fruits and then fed them to children. He had then done countless experiments on the children to try and give them the ability to swim and an immunity to Sea Prism Stone. Elle was one of those children. She had never gone into much detail about what had been done to her, but Shanks knew it had been hell. When they had found her, the skin around her neck, wrists, ankles, and waist had been rubbed raw. There were needle marks all over her body, along with cuts and finger-shaped bruises. Her fingernails bleed constantly for the first six months they had her and she went feral if in an enclosed space.

When Elle had been twelve or so, she finally felt safe enough to tell Shanks some of what she went through. She had been poked and prodded and cut for as long as she could remember. They had cut open her fingers and toes and had her nails removed. She wasn't sure how, but they had replaced her nails with Sea Prism Stone. She had been sick for weeks and her body had tried to reject the stone. Elle had been unable to move much due to the weakening affects of the stone, so they had eventually stopped chaining her up.

One day, Elle realized that she could move. Slowly, she worked until she could move and shift without immediately passing out, but only when all of the scientists were gone. Elle had patiently waited through more and more torturous experiments until one careless scientist had left an opening for her to escape. Elle's toes had ultimately rejected the Sea Prism Stone, but her body had fused to the ones in her fingers. Something Brutus had done to her made it possible for her body to feed the stones, somehow making them grow like normal nails. Elle had told Shanks that out of at least four Zoan-type Devil Fruit users, she had been the only one to survive the implantation.

Brutus had called her his most successful experiment and had spent years searching for her. That was why Captain Roger had adopted her and taken Elle with him when the crew had disbanded. A few days after Shanks had found Elle in Logue Town, Elle had told him how Roger insisted she call him 'Papa' and how his lover had insisted she be called 'Mama'. Elle had watched her father die before her eyes and heard about the search for her mother and unborn brother. Shanks hadn't known what to do with the young girl who had seen so much in less than a decade of life.

Ultimately, Shanks had just kept her close and tried to smother her with as much affection as possible, trying to make up for the family she had come so close to having. Shanks wasn't sure if he had done the right thing, especially after he had had sex with her and then sent her away because he was so ashamed of himself. Seeing Elle relax and push her head into his hand, Shanks started to feel the embers of their close bond start to flare. His heart twisted in his chest and a realization hit Shanks like a sea king. What had originally been nothing more than a brotherly love had morphed into that of a lover without him noticing it. That night ten years ago, Shanks' body had loved Elle the way his heart and mind hadn't dared acknowledge.

Right then, Shanks made a decision. Elle might not love him like she used to, but he had made her fall in love with him once, so he could do it again. He leaned over and lightly kissed her temple. Elle turned her head and looked at Shanks. Before she could say anything, Shanks leaned down and gave her a small, chaste kiss. He pulled back slightly and met her wide eyes. Then he leaned down and gave her another kiss. It was no more than a brushing of their lips, but there was nothing chaste about it. When Shanks pulled back again, Elle's cheeks were slightly pink.

Elle appeared unable to hold his stare any longer and looked down at her injured hand. She licked the cuts a couple times and nodded at her hand when the wounds clotted. "That guy," she said quietly. "He seems loyal."

Shanks let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, Rockstar is quiet loyal," he murmured. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught Shanks' attention and he looked over to see the man in question slowly sit up. Shanks shot him a small wink before looking down to see Elle closely studying Rockstar.

"I like him. So keep him around, will ya?"

Elle growled at Shanks as he started laughing, pressing his mouth against her head. Rockstar gave his Captain a crazy look and asked what she meant by that. Elle had literally just told him to stay the fuck away from her, then turned around and said she liked him. Rockstar's words only made Shanks laugh harder. Elle snarled at him and elbowed his side, but was distracted by Ben before she could do any more. Rockstar was starting to look concerned, so Shanks fought to straighten up. Elle stood up and scoffed at Shanks before she went to see what Ben needed. Shanks walked her walk away, appreciating the lovely view, before he gave Rockstar a smile.

"Elle has made it clear that she doesn't like you personally," Shanks explained, "But her last statement was approval."

"What do you mean, Captain?"

"That you're one lucky sonofabitch," Yassop said with a small grin. He held out his hand and pulled Shanks to his feet before he added, "Despite royally pissing her off, Elle approves of Captain's decision to make you a member of the crew."

Rockstar slowly got to his feet and asked, "What does it matter if she approves or not? She's a Marine."

Shanks decided to let Yassop answer, instead choosing to go find his Vice-Captain and Kitten. As he walked away, Shanks heard Yassop say, "Elle's a Marine now, but she was also the first member of the Red-Hair Pirates. Despite her young age, Elle's technically all our _Sempai._ "

Shanks was almost out of earshot when he heard Lucky Roo add, "Elle mentioned that she would never betray the Captain because of her respect for him. Well, Captain would kick you off the ship in a heartbeat if she asked. Because that is how much he trusts her instincts."

* * *

I walked away from the laughing pirate and fought desperately to keep from reaching up and touching my ear. Shanks always knew how to comfort me, even after spending a decade apart. And it pissed me off, especially when I felt butterflies start to stir in my stomach when he touched me. Shanks had not only irritated me last night with his petty jealousy, but had also wounded me. He vehemently voiced his regret for having sex with me and then gone all possessive male at the first sight that I had been intimate with another man. It was confusing and my heart didn't know what to think. Or feel.

I blew air out of my nose and pulled my hair free as I reached Ben. I finger-combed my hair as Ben explained the issue the navigator had just come across. It had to do with the island my sources had told me my prey was on. Apparently, it was in a section of the New World that was under Emperor Kaido's control. The island itself wasn't _technically_ under Kaido's flag, but it was the only one in the area that wasn't. The island enjoyed the protection that the Emperor provided while still remaining largely free. This was important, as it was a resort island. By not officially being under Kaido's control, any pirate could visit there without angering Kaido, while still largely being safe from the Marines.

The perfect place for someone on the run from the Marines, like my prey. But I didn't understand why Ben and the navigator were having such reservations about going there. When I asked them about it, both men gave me dumbfounded looks and were silent for several minutes. When I didn't say any more, the navigator frowned at me and said, "We're not normal pirates."

I just raised an eyebrow and Ben sighed. "Unlike normal pirates," he explained, "If we land on that island, it could be taken as an act of war. Particularly since we just battled Kaido."

Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense. "I can fix that. Do you guys have a long-distance Transponder Snail?" I asked.

Ben mutely pointed at the Snail on the desk. I walked by him to the Snail, glancing up when the door opened and Shanks walked in. As I dialed the number, the three men had a murmured conversation. I didn't bother listening, as I'm sure Ben and the navigator were just updating their captain. I hopped up on the desk and curled my legs under me as the Snail rang. Finally, a deep, rough male voice answered.

"Hey, Kaido-kun," I said cheerfully. I grinned at the men in the room when they all gave me wide-eyed looks. "I have a favor to ask."

"And who is this?" the Emperor growled.

"Aw, you don't recognize my voice?" I pouted.

The Snail snorted. "Oh, you sound like Ellie," he grunted. "But this is Red-Hair's Snail, so you can't be her."

My eyebrows raised. "Impressive, Kaido-kun." I felt my grin gain a cynical edge. "But, unfortunately, it is me. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I have been forced to join forces with Red-Hair."

The Snail was silent for a long moment before Kaido chuckled. "Yeah, sure you are," he said gruffly. "Like hell Sengoku would let Ellie work with Red-Hair."

"He would when he is desperately trying to keep me as a Marine," I murmured, the smile dropping from my face. "Especially now that he knows I have ways to break my contract without harming my children."

Another long silence, then, "What d'you need, little kitty?" I explained the issue the navigator had found and the Snail mirrored Kaido's grin. "I see. Because it's you, I'll let Red-Hair on that island. But only him." Kaido went on to say that the rest of the Red-Hair Pirates could wait on a nearby island that was just outside of his territory. "Is that all you need, Ellie?"

"Yes, thank you!" I grinned at the Snail and added, "Does this make us even, now?" Kaido just laughed and hung up the Transponder Snail. I followed suit before glancing up at the men in the room with me. "There. Problem solved."

The navigator started asking me how I got to be so chummy with Kaido, and Shanks and Ben looked equally interested in my answer. When I explained that there was a reason Kaido was called the King of the Beasts. Being a cute little Zoan-Type Devil Fruit user, I had an advantage over normal people when it came to Kaido. If you throw in the fact that I had unlimited stories about four reckless, but strong, boys, and you had the perfect recipe for curing boredom. When Kaido had found out how much time I was spending on the _Moby Dick_ , his interest was piqued. Then he had found out that I had two children who were the spitting image of Red-Hair Shanks. He had sent me a 'request' to meet and, long story short, we became fast friends.

I explained this to Shanks, Ben, and the Navigator and they all continued to stare at me. Finally, Ben asked, "You were friends with Whitebeard?"

"Well, yeah. My little brother was one of his Division Commanders." I rolled my eyes and added, "We had drinks about once a month, not that it's any of your business."

All three men started to rub their temples and Shanks muttered, "Next you'll tell us Big Mom's your best friend."

"No, Mama kinda creeps me out," I shrugged. "But she does have an excellent taste in sweets." I blinked at the men, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end under their intense scrutiny. "What? Just 'cause I couldn't see you guys doesn't mean I couldn't see other pirates."

Shanks just shook his head and brushed the hair out of my face. "Just give us old men a moment to process just how wide your circle of friends are, 'kay, Kitten?" he asked, pressing his lips against my temple.

"Fine," I muttered, desperately trying to keep my cheeks from heating. "But only if you remember that you just called yourself an old man."

* * *

 ** _A/N: And here's chapter 11! I'm kind of worried that I made Kaido seem a little OC, but I'd like to think that he has a soft spot for Elle because she helps him with his boredom. So try to keep an open mind! It's not a big deal, as I don't think Kaido is going to show up much more, if at all. Aaaannnyyywho, I am bringing in a surprise addition either in the next chapter or the one right after! He's a very special man who is only going to appear so that he can help progress Elle and Shanks' relationship. But I like him, even if hes's an_** **ass.** ** _HINT!_**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter, my lovelies!_**

 ** _~Shini_**


	12. Chapter 12

_She sat in the tree with her tail wrapped around three of her feet and licked the fourth before rubbing her face. She repeated the process several times until she felt her face was sufficiently clean. Elle put her paw down and started cleaning her shoulder. She heard a_ thump! _and opened one of her yellow eyes. The Little Shit finished placing the last of his treasure in his new hidey-hole and stepped out into the failing sunlight. He gave her a wary glance, but obviously didn't think much of the cat sitting before him._

 _The fool! Elle started to purr as she continued cleaning herself, keeping a careful eye on the Little Shit. She knew that she didn't look threatening and that anyone who saw her wouldn't recognize her as the_ Hell Cat. _Looking at herself as she cleaned, Elle knew that her appearance was not very alarming. When in her full Cat-Form, Elle topped out at twelve pounds. Her legs were long and the same pretty white as the rest of her fur, her paws large and fluffy. Despite keeping her human hair short, Elle's fur was long and gave her a fluffy appearance, especially around her neck. She had little tufts of hair on the tips of her ears and stripes running across her body were only slightly darker than the rest of her fur. Oh, yes, Elle knew that she was a very cute little kitty._

 _That was why the exact model of her Devil Fruit was her most closely guarded secret. The Cat-Cat Fruit: Maine Coon Model was most certainly not the most impressive Devil Fruit. Elle knew that she could kick some serious ass when in her hybrid-forms. And her kitty-form was good for unnoticed prowling and spying. So Elle loved her Devil Fruit, even if she would never willingly admit that she was just a house cat. It was always better to have her enemies think that she was some fierce tiger or leopard or some other big cat._

 _It certainly made following her newly discovered baby brother easier when he didn't know she was there. Elle had been greatly amused when the Little Shit and his friend had decided they needed to kill the Twerp. She had bonded slightly with him a few days ago when they had talked about Shanks, but she still didn't like him. She decided to keep her mouth shut and wait for the boys to do it so that she could get Shanks' hat. But then those wannabe pirates had appeared._

 _They had ignored the white kitty sleeping by the tied up boy and took the Twerp away. Elle had stuck close to the Little Shit as he and his friend moved their so-called 'Pirate Fund'. That had been several hours ago. Elle finished cleaning herself and arched her back in a stretch. The Twerp was probably dead by now, so she was going to go collect the straw hat. The funny feeling in her chest and stomach were from that mouse she had eaten earlier. It had to be. There was no way she could be feeling guilty over sitting back and watching the Twerp be hauled off to his deat—_

 _What do you mean, he's still alive? Elle stared down at the blond boy in shock before glancing at the Little Shit. The look on his face mirrored what Elle was feeling. "Are you really going to leave him to die?" she asked before she could stop herself._

 _The Little Shit looked down at her before he cursed and jumped out of the tree. The Little Shit landed and, along with the blond boy, they ran off. Elle echoed his curse before following the Little Shit out of the tree. She was back in her hybrid-form when her toes touched the grass. She started running, but in the opposite direction of the Little Shit and his friend. She found the tree where she had hidden her clothing and shoes in that morning and quickly put them on. When Elle was just in her underclothes, there was no doubt that not only was she female, but she was pregnant as well. And if she was going to go up against pirates—wannabe or not—she couldn't afford to have her weakness show._

 _As soon as her boots were on, Elle started running again. Due to her much longer legs, Elle ran faster than the Little Shit and his friend. So she reached the hut where the Twerp was being held not long after the Little Shit. She was breathing heavily, but forced her body to breath through her nose so that she didn't appear so winded. The Little Shit and Blondie were whaling on this purple-haired dude, but that wasn't what caught her attention._

 _The Twerp was by the door and he looked terrible. He was covered in wounds and blood, one eye almost swollen shut. He had been tortured for hours and he still had a dopey smile on his face. Elle couldn't keep the smile from her face. She still didn't like the Twerp, but she had to admit that the kid had balls. She stepped unnoticed into the hut and crouched down next to the Twerp. She softly touched his back and winked at him when he looked at her. Elle held her finger up to her mouth and motioned the Twerp to keep quiet. He nodded once before turning back to the fight._

 _In the next moment, Blondie came flying in their direction. He got up and started to go back into the fight, but Elle grabbed the back of his blue coat and pulled him behind the Twerp. Blondie gave her a confused stare, his hold on his lead pipe tightening. Before he could attack her, the Little Shit went soaring in their direction. Elle dodged in time that the Little Shit missed her and smacked into Blondie and the Twerp. The Little Shit cursed and went to stand back up, but his forehead ran into her claw. He fell back down and glared at Elle, growling at her to get out of his way._

" _Now, now," she said sweetly. "It's my turn to play."  
_

" _This isn't some game, boy," Purple-Head said behind her, spitting blood out of his mouth. "If you were smart, you'd leave pirate business well-enough alone."_

 _Elle stood up and faced Purple-Head with a bored expression on her face. She scratched the inside of her ear and tilted her head. "This is pirate business?" she asked, her tone light despite her cold gaze. "Seemed to me like you were just getting your ass whooped by a couple of little boys. You must be a shitty pirate."_

 _Purple-Head growled and swung his sword at her. Elle leaned back slightly, easily dodging the weapon. "What would you know about pirates?" Purple-Head snapped._

 _Behind Purple-Head, Elle saw a beat-up blonde man pale as he watched her. That made a smile grow on Elle's face. She pointed at him and asked, "He seems to know, so why don't'cha ask him?"_

 _Purple-Head snarled and swung his sword at Elle again, effectively killing her good mood. Elle caught the blade in her hand and pulled Purple-Head right into her waiting fist. He dropped like a rock, but the brute was still holding onto consciousness by a thread. Elle snarled down at him and kicked his stomach, severing that thread. Elle flicked her hand, showering Purple-Head in her blood as the mood in the hut became tense. Elle shot a cynical grin and wink at Purple-Head's minions before turning around. All three of the boys were giving her a wide-eyed stare, their mouths hanging open almost to the floor. Her grin became more genuine as she shuffled them out of the hut and off towards the forest. Elle told them to go get cleaned up and that she would find them in a bit._

 _As soon as the boys were out of sight, Elle went back to the hut and got up on the roof. She laid down and crossed her arms under her head. She enjoyed a nice sun bath for a bit before she heard men approaching the hut. Elle rolled over onto her stomach and crawled to the edge of the roof. She watched several men step up to the doorway, but the man in front caught her attention._

 _He was wearing a blue captain's coat, so Elle assumed that he was the Captain of this so-called pirate crew. Elle rolled off the roof and stepped into the doorway. All of the men who saw her appear fell back away from her, but didn't make a sound. Elle leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms over her chest as Mr. Captain shot Purple-Head._

" _Aw, that's not very nice, Mr. Captain," Elle said with a mock-frown. "It's not Purple-Head's fault you have a lousy crew."_

 _Mr. Captain turned around and scowled at Elle. "Are you the one who defeated him, boy?" he growled. Elle felt her cheek twitch at being called a boy, but decided to ignore it. For now._

" _Oh, no," she answered him, forcing herself to smile. "I just delivered the final blows."_

 _Mr. Captain raised his gun and fired. Elle tilted her head and easily dodged the bullet, her grin growing as she heard a moan of pain behind her. "A_ haki _user," Mr. Captain murmured, before saying louder, "You're more than you appear. Who the hell are you, boy?"_

" _U-Uh, Captain," a voice said behind Mr. Captain. Oh, look. It was the beat-up blondie from before. "Th-that's the_ H-Hell C-C-Cat." _And he_ did _recognize Elle. She felt flattered._

" _From that Red-Hair's crew?" Mr. Captain's eyes took a long look before widening. "What does Red-Hair want with me?"_

 _Elle waved his words off and pushed herself off of the door frame. "Oh, I'm not here because of Shanks," she said, taking a couple steps closer to Mr. Captain. "The business I have with you is personal."_

 _Mr. Captain started to ask when she wanted, but Elle cut him off by grabbing the front of his shirt. Before Mr. Captain could blink, she twisted her body and threw the large man into the ground. She landed on his chest and let go of his shirt, only to place both of her hands around his throat. Her smile was a dressed up snarl and Elle savored the look of fear in the man's face. She dug her claws into his throat just enough to draw blood._

" _I will give you one warning," she crooned, her voice soft. "If you mess with my little brothers again, I will not hesitate to rip off your balls and shove them down your throat. Yah?"_

 _Elle lightly smacked Mr. Captain's cheek twice before she stood up. She bowed at the men watching before walking away. She shoved her hands in her pockets and started whistling an old lullaby. Elle wasn't surprised when the Little Shit fell into step beside her. Her_ Perception Haki _had alerted her to his presence earlier. That was why she had decided to make such a flashy threat. Elle doubted that any of those wannabe pirates had_ haki, _but she had wanted their attention focused solely on her and not on the Little Shit._

 _The Little Shit glared up at her before looking back at the path before them. "You're kinda badass," he muttered, a small blush appearing on his freckled cheeks._

 _Elle grinned down at him, but didn't say anything. She didn't want him to take back the words as she all but floated with happiness. It was a mystery to her why the Little Shit's approval meant so much to her, but it did. Maybe it was because she saw so much of the Captain in him? Soon enough they reached the other boys. Blondie was clumsily attempting to bandage up the Twerp. Elle took pity on the boys and walked over to them. She hip-bumped Blondie out of the way and took over the first-aide. When she finished with all of the boys, she sat back and watched as the Little Shit yelled at the Twerp for not just giving up the location of their treasure._

 _When the Twerp had said his reason, Elle felt all of the animosity for him wither and die. The Twerp, Luffy, hadn't wanted to betray his friends. Because they were all he had. Elle felt sympathy for the boy when he said that he only had the Old Fart, so he was happy to get a brother. Before she knew it, Luffy was in her arms and Elle was rubbing her face against his head. Forget the Little Shit; Luffy definitely reminded her of the Captain. Don't worry, Luffy! Nee-Chan is here for you! She'd never betray you like the Little Shit!  
_

" _Is that why you said 'little brother_ s _'?" Had Elle spoken out loud. "Yes, you did, dumbass! And, 'sides, why did you interfere? We didn't need your help!"_

 _Elle stopped rubbing her face against Luffy's head and stared at the other boys. "You're a little shit, ya know that?" She grinned when the Little Shit glared at her and added, "If you call me 'Nee-San', maybe I'll be kind enough to impart some of my valuable pirate knowledge with you."_

" _Like hell I'd ev—"_

" _Whoa, you were a pirate?!" Blondie interrupted, shoving the Little Shit out of the way. "No way!"_

 _Luffy grinned and shouted, "She is! Nee-Chan was a pirate on Shanks' ship!" Elle's face turned bright red and she ended up squeezing Luffy harder. She had no idea that being called his big sister would make her so happy._

" _That's not important right now!" the Little Shit growled. The spoil-sport."Why should we call you something so stupid just to hear about your short life as a pirate?"_

 _Elle stopped rubbing the top of Luffy's head again and gave the Little Shit a confused stare. "Short?" she asked. "I was a pirate for twelve years."_

" _Yeah, right!"_

 _Elle scowled as Blondie added, "There's no way you were a pirate for twelve years. You're not much older than we are!"_

 _Elle's scowl deepened into a glare. "I know I'm short, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still six years older than you two!" she snapped._

 _The Little Shit glared right back and asked, "You're telling us you became a pirate when you were four?"_

" _Well, I was the_ Oro Jackson _'s cat for a few years," Elle started, then scowled again. "I was still on board a pirate ship as a member of the crew. Technically I was a pirate for twelve years!"_

 _The Little Shit started arguing with Elle again, but she noticed little white flakes start falling from the sky. She started to ask why it was snowing in the middle of summer, but cut herself off with a sneeze. She hit her head on Luffy's head, but it was like hitting a plank of wood. Wait, when did Luffy become a deck—_

* * *

I sneezed again and sat up. I started to rub the sleep from my eyes, but shivered violently instead. It was snowing softly and the temperature had dropped significantly since I had decided to take a sun-nap. My teeth started chattering and I hauled myself to my feet. I wrapped both my arms and my tail around my body and quickly ran into the Captain's Cabin. I had brought my bag back in there before I had taken my nap, right after I had changed clothes. A simple, white tee-shirt and a pair of short jean shorts, while excellent sunbathing wear, were not appropriate winter attire. I dug around in my bag for several minutes before I gave up and just pulled out the warmest clothing I had.

The shirt was a deep purple color with a deep, scooping neckline. There was a black ribbon that tied under my breasts, making the shirt flare out from my ribs down. More black ribbon crisscrossed from the first up my beasts to the neckline in the style of a corset. The sleeves were tight down past my wrists, ending in a point right bellow my middle knuckle. I hadn't packed any long pants, so I pulled out my longest skirt. It was black and flowed softly down to my knees, with the bottom having severe points and valleys. Before I put on my skirt, I pulled out my single garter-belt and put it on. I grabbed my warmest black stockings and put them on as well, clipping them to the belt.

That was about as warm as I was going to get, so I pulled my boots back on. I frowned at my reflection in the mirror and grabbed my brush. When my waist-length hair was brushed, I pulled it over my shoulders so that it fell in white waves around my face. I grabbed my black leather trench coat and quickly pulled it on. I buttoned it and pulled the hood up over my head. Pulling on a pair of black finger-less gloves, I opened the door and stepped back onto the deck. I shoved my hands in my pockets and fought another violent shudder. I didn't mind the snow, not really, so long as I was inside and warm. But this wasn't too bad. The snow made the air fresh and crisp even as it seared my lungs. I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue to—

I ducked so fast that I lost my footing on the slippery deck and landed flat on my ass. I looked up, wide-eyed, at the snow smashed into the wall of the cabin. I slowly turned my head until my gaze landed on Sora. His arm was still extended from throwing the snowball and the look on his face could only be described as, _oh, shit!_ I gave my eldest son a slow, wide grin as I scooped up my own handful of snow. I quickly packed it into a ball and pulled my arm to throw it at Sora, but I was knocked back into the snow before I could throw it. I brushed the snow from both my snowball and the one that hit me on my face and sat up with a scowl.

Eli and Sora were laughing their asses off and both of them gave Shanks a high-five. The jerk had let Sora distract me so that I wouldn't sense his attack until too late. Well, if he wanted to play dirty, I would play dirty. I decided to fall back on the best method: I summoned tears to my eyes and started rubbing my wet cheek. Shanks reacted the same way he had the thousands of times I had done this to him before: he paled and quickly ran to my side. Before the pirate could realize that I wasn't really hurt, I launched myself at him and shoved Shanks' face into the snow.

I started giggling before bursting into full-out laughter when I saw Yassop and Lucky Roo take the chance to pelt the twins with snowballs. My distraction cost me, as Shanks used the opportunity to roll over until I was the one pinned face-down in the snow. I heard Shanks start to laugh over my curses and felt his large chest rumble against my back. I growled and started wiggling, trying to worm my way out of his hold. Shanks' laughter abruptly stopped and his hand tightened on my hip. I kept moving and Shanks leaned farther into me.

His breath tickled my ear as he whispered, "Careful, there, Kitten."

I just turned my head and glared up at Shanks. I kept moving and then something unexpected happened. Shanks pressed his face into my neck, but not before I heard him let out a small groan. It was then that I felt something hard start to move against my ass. I froze and felt my entire face turn red. I turned slightly and met Shanks' heavy, dark stare. I moved my hips once and Shanks' eyelids lowered slightly as his hips pressed into mine. Shanks' gaze dropped down to my lips and I realized that I was licking the edge of my bottom lip.

Shanks opened his own mouth to say something, but a snowball hit him square on the nose. I was covered in snow too, but I couldn't stop my laughter from bubbling up at the look of shock on Shanks' face. He gave me a cheeky grin before he rolled off of me—just before another snowball came flying in our direction, hitting my nose. I sat up, narrowly missing another snowball. It seems that Yassop, Lucky, and the twins had joined forces against Shanks and I. I quickly made a snowball and tossed it up to Shanks, who in turn threw it and knocked the meat right out of Lucky's hand.

Shanks had quite the throwing arm, despite it not being his dominant hand. We developed a system with me making the snowballs and Shanks throwing them at anyone who dared oppose us. I was laughing so hard I was wheezing, my tears freezing before they could leave my eyes. I couldn't remember the last time I had had so much fun and knew it had been months since I had laughed so much. But our fun ended abruptly when Sora tackled Eli out of the path of Shanks' snowball and it ended up hitting Ben in the face.

The entire ship became silent as Ben slowly wiped the snow off of his face. He calmly threw his dampened cigarette away before pulling out and lighting a new one. Ben took a long drag before opening his eyes and giving us a cool stare. "If you're done playing around, I have some things we need to discuss," he said sedately.

I shrugged and dropped the pile of snow in my hand. Shanks reached down and I took his hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet. I grinned at the twins and ruffled their hair as I walked by them to follow Ben into the cabin. I stomped the snow off of my boots and quickly walked to the far end of the cabin. I situated myself in the corner farthest from the windows and door before turning to face the two men. Shanks and Ben seemed to be having a silent conversation, but that wasn't unusual. Shanks and Ben were often able to communicate through mere glances.

I cupped my hands over my ears, pushing them flat against my head, as Ben said, "We'll reach the island within the next hour or so."

I rubbed my ears vigorously before dropping my hands and pushing off my hood. "So what's the issue?" I asked, Shanks nodding in agreement.

Ben crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the desk. "Have you even planned out how you're going to find this guy?" he asked gruffly. I opened my mouth, but he just interrupted me with a scowl. "And bursting in, guns blazing, and hoping he doesn't flee is not an option."

I scowled back at the Vice-Captain and mirrored his stance. Shanks chuckled before saying, "Then what do you suggest, Ben?"

Ben's face softened slightly as he glanced at his captain. "This guy has been on the run from the Marines for over twenty years," he said slowly. "So chances are he'll bolt at the first sign of the _Benineko._ But he would have no reason to be suspicious of a family."

"What are you getting at, Ben?" I snapped. I took a step forwards and placed my hand on my hip. "Do you want Shanks and I to go there with the twins, acting like a family on vacation?"

"Essentially, yes." After Shanks and I just gave him wide-eyed, open-mouthed stares, Ben added, "Elle couldn't go as she is now, as she's easily recognizable as the _Benineko_. But if she were human, she could pass as just some woman you had as a lover, Captain."

* * *

Shanks ran his hand through his hair as he glanced at Elle. At his Vice-Captain's words, the Cat-Woman's face had paled to the same color as her hair and her ears had turned as far back as possible. She crossed her arms over her chest again, but Shanks still saw the tremors start in her hands, and her tail was swishing angrily behind her. Elle looked like she couldn't decide to be angry at, or absolutely terrified of, what Ben had just suggested.

When Elle had been younger, she had refused to be in her human form. The only way she bathed for the first two years he was with her was with a bucket and a wash cloth so that she wouldn't be forced into her human form. Eventually, she had gotten over her fear long enough for short showers and had then been able to progress to taking a bath. But ten years ago, Elle had barely endured Shanks around her when she was human, and didn't tolerate anyone else. Last night, Elle had taken a bath with her sons, so Shanks had assumed she had grown out of that fear. But seeing the terror on her face, Shanks knew that she hadn't.

Shanks crossed the room and brushed some of her soft hair out of Elle's face. He gently cupped the back of her neck and pulled her to his chest. Shanks pressed a kiss against her temple and murmured that it would be safest for her sons. Elle gave him a confused look and Shanks explained it to her. If they were to go to the island as a notorious pirate, his lover, and their children, the citizens would not look past the color of Eli's hair. They would assume that Elle was just some normal woman who had managed to catch his eye. No one would associate Elle as the _Benineko, Hell Cat,_ or an other epithet, so they would not target _her_ sons. Most importantly, Brutus would not target the twins. If any thing, they would be targeted because they were _his_ sons. Some coward might target the boys if he was too weak or scared to take Shanks on himself. But if the twins could easily disarm Ben, they could handle a coward like that.

Shanks' words seemed to calm Elle and he could see her processing what he had said. Suddenly, her eyes got wide and she looked sharply up at Shanks. "You realized you're their father?" she whispered.

Shanks had come to terms with the thought last night, and seeing the twins in the full daylight had only confirmed it for him. But hearing Elle say it was like a sucker punch straight to the gut. Shanks had known that he had two sons, but he hadn't wanted to admit that Elle had kept them from him for ten years. On some deep level, Shanks had wanted to believe that he had been wrong and the children had been sired by some other red-headed bastard. Shanks loved kids and had felt a slight stinging in his chest that he had missed the majority of his sons' childhoods. That sting intensified to a deep burning and Shanks felt anger start to well deep inside of him.

But he let nothing of what he was feeling show on his face. Shanks could hear the men shouting outside that they could see the island and knew that they did not have time for this conversation. So he lightly kissed Elle's head again and murmured that they would talk about it later. Shanks then let go of her and walked out of the cabin. He easily dodged the two snowballs that the twins had thrown at him and gave them both a wide grin. He explained that they would be joining Shanks and their mother on her mission. Sora and Eli burst out in identical grins and asked if they could help take down the bad guys.

Shanks ruffled first Eli's, then Sora's hair and said, "Of course." He heard the door to the cabin open behind him and hastily added, "If it's okay with your mother, that is."

Shanks heard Elle snort behind him and the twins split to run around him. He heard them begging their mother if they could help take out the bad guy. Shanks glanced over his shoulder to see that Elle's eyes were wide and her mouth working to find some reply. Her yellow eyes met his, silently asking for help. Shanks just grinned and shrugged, winking at the Cat-Woman before going to the helm. She wanted to keep them from knowing he was their father. So, call him petty, but Shanks refused to help her parent them until he was able to officially be their father.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Wow. Twelve chapters. Can you believe it? I've never written a FanFic for so long, and have only surpassed this with the novel I'm currently working on. So thanks, my dearest readers, for sticking with**_ **Akagami Shiro Neko _for so long! And starting in the next chapter, we are finally getting started on the hunt for Brutus! Yay! Also, as a forewarning, either the next chapter, or the one right after it, will contain a nice lemon scene. So look forward to that!_**

 ** _As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_**

 ** _~Shini_**


	13. Chapter 13

I stared down at the snow covered ground, my stomach doing summer-salts. And it wasn't from the ocean. I lightly tugged on my ears and let out a small whine. I heard Shanks step up behind me and felt his warm hand on the small of my back. He leaned down and murmured that I should just take the plunge. Easy for him to say. Shanks is strong and can easily take care of both himself and others, despite being just a human. _He_ didn't have a debilitating fear of loosing everything precious to him because he couldn't protect anything.

But that wasn't true. I _could_ protect in my human-form. Yes, I fought mainly with my fangs and claws, but I was proficient with a staff. More than proficient with my daggers. And I knew that I could kick some serious ass with my sword. I reached over my shoulder and lightly touched the hilt of my _katana._ A gift from Captain, it was one of my most prized possessions. Scared that the Marines would take it and never give it back, I had left it behind with Shanks. So it had been a decade since I had last seen it, but its presence was still a comfort.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, dropping my hand from the sword as I did. _I can do this,_ I told myself. No problem. The twins could take care of themselves, and we had one of the strongest men in the world on our side. They'll be just fine. I nodded to myself and sharply pinched my thigh. The sharp prick of my claws jerked me into motion and I started walking down the gangplank. By the time my feet hit the snow-covered ground, I was totally, utterly human. For the second time in my entire life, I had willingly left my hybrid-form to be human.

I hadn't realized that I was shaking until Shanks stepped up next to me and grabbed my hand. He pulled my trembling fingers up to his mouth and gave them a soft kiss. It was the same thing he had done a decade ago when I had decided to place my full trust in his hands. The memories of the last time made the blood rush to my face and I hastily tried to pull my hand out of his grasp. Shanks' smile twisted slightly and I couldn't tell if it was coy or sardonic. His grip changed so that our fingers were laced before he spoke.

"Come now, Kitten," he purred, leaning down so that his mouth brushed the shell of my human ear. "We're lovers, right? So that means I can show you as much affection as I want to." I opened my mouth to protest, but my words were swallowed by Shanks when he pressed a light kiss against my lips. "Not only do you have to accept it, Kitten, but you have to reciprocate it."

I scowled up at the pirate before softly kissing his cheek. I jerked my bag higher onto my shoulder before I started walking towards my sons. Stepping on Shanks' foot was an accident, of course. There was no way I would be so petty as to deliberately stomp on it as hard as I could just because he decided that it would be fun to tease me. Such actions were not befitting of a Marine Officer of my rank and reputation. Even if it was satisfying as hell. With Sora and Eli running ahead of and the limping pirate next to me, we walked towards the nearest town.

Despite the snow that was gently falling from the sky, there was a considerable amount of people out and about. They all appeared to be friendly, waving and merrily chatting with one another. They smiled when the twins ran into the town before looking behind for their parents. I could tell that they looked at me first, as the smiles became a little more knowing. But then the citizens, one by one, caught sight of Red-Haired Shanks. And those smiles fell from every face, more than one person suddenly had skin that matched the color of the snow around them, and I do believe I saw one lady faint.

Now, I was used to the first two reactions. Even when I went somewhere with my sons, people would recognize me as the _Benineko,_ as one of the most violent and deadly Marines. But the sight of me has never made someone out-right faint. I was chagrined, to say the least, that this giant puppy of a man standing next to me could elicit such a reaction. But I was surprised by the deep pride I felt welling in my chest. _Damn straight, you should faint, lady. This man can kick some serious ass without even breaking a sweat._

I stumbled slightly as the thought ran through my mind. I was no longer in a position to feel pride in how people regarded Shanks. I mentally slapped my inner _Hell Cat_ as we followed the twins into a building. The little bitch needed to shut up and go back to sleep. Instantly, the warm, rich smells of food washed over me, making my stomach growl. Leave it to my children to go directly to the first restaurant they find. I glanced up at Shanks to see the same amusement I felt mirrored in his dark eyes.

We started to walk over to the table Sora and Eli were at, but a wiry man stepped into our path. "Excuse me, but you are not welcome here," he said in a nasily voice, perfectly suited to his pinched eyes and upturned nose. He looked like a pig, which only made my hunger grow.

I scowled at the man, but Shanks spoke before I could. "What do you mean?" he asked in a mild voice, his hand lightly squeezing mine. "If you don't serve pirates, we're happy to go elsewhere."

Mr. Pig's scowl deepened and I had to swallow the growl that tried to escape my throat. "What I mean, _sir,_ " he said, twisting the word into an insult, "is that you are not welcome on this island."

"What d—"

"Are you sure?" Shanks interrupted me, tugging on my hand to try and get me to step behind him. Yeah, fat chance in hell, old man. "Because last I checked, this is a free island."

Mr. Pig's lips thinned to the point that they turned white. "Technically, you are correct," he scoffed. "But we are still in Emperor Kaido's territory. As an enemy of his, you are not welcome."

"Then it's a good thing we have permission, yah?" I snapped, unable to keep quiet any longer. Mr. Pig just turned his condescending glare on me, so I added, "You can ask him, if you'd like. We'll wait."

"That is not necessary, ma'am," he said after a long pause. " _You_ are allowed on this island, along with your children. _He_ is not."

My lip lifted into a snarl before I could stop it. "I'd sooner cut my arm off before I leave Shanks behind," I snapped, dropping Shanks' hand to get in Mr. Pig's face. "Now get Kaido on the Snail before I call him myself."

Any condescension fell off of Mr. Pig's face to be quickly replaced by fear. He snapped at a near-by waiter to grab a Transponder Snail and call a 'Master Jack'. I frowned, but just crossed my arms over my chest as I waited. Shanks stepped up behind me, resting his hand on my hip and pressed his lips to the crown of my head. I leaned back into him as the pale and sweating waiter approached with a blue Transponder Snail. The Snail had the same face as Mr. Pig, which I found very amusing, as it only highlighted just how pig-like the man looked. But any humor I found in the situation was pushed to the back of my mind as a voice came on, demanding to know why we needed to talk to Jack- _Sama._

"Master Sheepshead," Mr. Pig said, his voice shaking slightly. "We have Red-Haired Shanks here, saying that he has permission to visit the island."

Sheepshead asked what the hell that had to do with Jack- _Sama._ Mr. Pig explained that he was told to contact someone about it, and that he had called Jack, as he was in charge of the island. The Snail started to snarl and Sheepshead said, "Don't bother us with this shit! Of course Red-Hair doesn't have permission to go there!"

"Sheepshead," I said quietly. "Put Jack on. Now."

The Snail's eyes turned and looked at me. "Who the hell are you, ordering me around?" Sheepshead snapped.

"Dammit, Sheepshead, put Jack on or _I. Will. Eat. You!"_

The Snail started to sweat and was silent for a long moment. Finally, Sheepshead spoke, trying (and failing) to put menace behind his words. "Fine, Mistress Elle. But the moment you get snippy with Jack- _Sama_ , the conversation is over! Got it?"

After I agreed, there was a long silence before a deeper, gruffer voice snapped, "What?"

"Jack, it's Elle." He was silent, which I took as confirmation that he knew who I was. "I need you to tell these asswipes that Shanks has permission to be here." Another long silence, just the Snail narrowing his eyes at me. I sighed and added, "If you don't, we're going to have to call and bother Kaido again."

"Don't address him so familiarly," Jack snapped, repeating the words he had told me countless times. I grinned when the Snail sighed and Jack said to the smug-looking Mr. Pig, "Elle is a—friend," he spit the word like a curse, "of Emperor Kaido's. She has recently suffered a major familial loss, so Kaido has agreed to let her relax there with children and her...lover, Red-Hair Shanks."

I had to fight to keep my face neutral. I hadn't actually told Kaido why I needed to be on that particular island, but he did know who my brothers were. I bragged about them enough I would be surprised if someone _didn't_ know Luffy and Ace were my brothers. If Kaido had chosen to believe that I needed to spend some quality family time with my sons and Shanks because of Ace's death, so be it. As it matched the story we had already come up with, I felt no need to correct Jack. I found myself thanking my lucky stars, though, that we didn't have to suddenly change why we were there.

"But," Jack continued, pulling me from my thoughts. "If the rest of the Red-Hair Pirates show up, you are to contact me immediately. Or if the M—"

"That's enough, Lunch-Dono," I said abruptly, cutting the Mammoth-Man off. I heard Jack growl at me, the usual reaction when I called him by that nickname. I heard Sheepshead shout about that being the end of our conversation before the Snail said, _Ca-lick,_ and went to sleep. You could always count on Sheepshead to get his feathers ruffled when someone insulted his captain. And that had just saved us from having our cover blown. I smiled sweetly at the shocked Mr. Pig and said, "As you heard, we _are_ welcome here."

I grabbed Shanks' hand and smiled up at him, ignoring his raised eyebrows. I lead us across the restaurant to the table where my twins were sitting, their eyes wide. Sora and Eli knew better than to question what had happened, but I suspected that they had some idea. It was hard to miss Sheepshead's yelling, so even if they hadn't heard the entire conversation, they could have easily guessed what was going on. I smiled and winked at the boys as I slid into the chair across from Sora. Shanks sat in the chair next to me, across from Eli, and casually slung his arm across the back of my chair.

I stiffened, but his words from earlier echoed in my mind. So I shifted my chair until I was close enough to cuddle with Shanks. My heart was racing and I could hardly concentrate enough to focus on the menu the shaking waitress placed in front of me. I ordered the first meat-based dish I saw and quickly handed the menu back. But that left me with nothing but the feeling of Shanks' arm around me. I felt like a teenager who had finally gotten the attention of her crush, my heart racing and my stomach flipping.

Over my twenty-six years of existence, I have come across several men that I found attractive. I have been intimate with a man on several occasions, even had children, so I was by no means a virgin. But for all my body cared, I had been thrown back in time ten years. No other man had affected me the way Shanks had when I was younger; not before and not in the years after. Yes, I had felt aroused in the years since. But never like this, never so hyper-aware of his every movement, every breath. All of my senses were lit on fire. Goosebumps popped up where Shanks was lazily rubbing his finger along my arm. I felt my skin heat where his breath brushed against my ear.

What is wrong with me? I had been this close—closer, even—to Shanks earlier during this trip, but I hadn't been so affected by him. Shanks said my name, the single syllable rolling off of his tongue and down my spine, leaving a path of fire in its wake. I glanced up at the pirate and found myself falling into the dark depths of his eyes. His gaze drifted down from mine, landing on my lips. And suddenly every nerve in my body was focused on them. They felt swollen, just aching for Shanks to press his lips to mine. My tongue slipped out, moistening them in anticipation. Shanks started to lean down, his breath brushing against the wet skin and making it all the more sensitive. I started to tilt my head and close my eyes, waiting...waitin—

I pushed Shanks away, my head shooting towards the door of the restaurant. And the men I saw walk through the door made me groan. I buried my face in my hands and muttered, "Oh, shit."

A group of imposing-looking men had just entered the restaurant. If I hadn't been so distracted by Shanks, I would have felt them with my _haki_ the moment they had landed on the island. I didn't usually use my _Perception Haki_ on crowded islands like this unless I absolutely needed to, as the constant barrage of information gave me a massive migraine. Due to the sensitive nature of my current mission, I was making a small exception. Years ago, I had figured out how to keep my _haki_ open to receive information on certain people. Usually I used it to keep track of the boys when they went off on their own. Today, I had been using it to detect anyone who could possibly blow our cover. But the idiotic man next to me had distracted me and I hadn't sensed potentially the most dangerous variable that we could have ever encountered.

All of the men who walked inside appeared relatively young, my age give or take. The first man, obviously the leader of the group, was tall. And I think he styled his maroon-colored hair into those spikes to try and add to his already impressive height. His long, black fur coat was trimmed in a color more purple than maroon and resting on his shoulders. Despite the cold weather, he didn't have a shirt on underneath, though he did have a bandolier holding a pistol and short sword crossing his chest. He had a blue sash tied across his waist, with a leather belt over it. His pants were weird-looking, black with yellow circles. The goggles resting at his hair line, black nails, dark lips, and lack of eyebrows all added to his dark look.

Directly behind Spiky was a slightly shorter man. His hair was as long as mine, but blond and more spiky than wavy. His face was covered completely by a plain blue and white striped mask, which had holes all along the front. His black shirt was covered in white spots and buttoned at his hips, revealing a slice of his tanned chest. A red sash was holding up his weirdly fringed pants. Behind Mask-Chan were even more odd-looking men, including a dark-haired guy wearing weird mesh lingerie and a pale blue-haired Voodoo doll come to life.

Yes, the Kid Pirates were a weird bunch, especially when compared to the civilians around them. Hell, even compared to the other Supernovas, they were an odd bunch. I had met them a little over a month ago, back on Sabaody Archipelago. They had intrigued me then, especially the captain and the one who appeared to be his first mate. Like Luffy's crew, the Kid Pirates were the only other crew containing two of the Supernovas, a group of eleven strong rookie pirates. But what had really caught my interest was the fact that the captain, Eustass 'Captain' Kid, had a bounty higher than Luffy's. I wanted to know if he had the strength to back up his bounty, like my brother did, or if it was so high only because of his complete disregard of civilian casualties. I did not, however, want to find out while I was working. The Kid Pirates had other plans, though.

As the men started striding across the restaurant, moving directly towards us, I was starting to lean towards the latter option. Captain Kid walked right up to our table and kicked it, upsetting the table. Giving us a crazy grin, he said, "I heard a rumor that Red-Hair Shanks would be on this island, but I must say I am surprised to find you're actually here."

The little bastard was trying to pick a fight with Shanks. I guess that answers my question. His bounty was definitely because of his disregard of civilian casualties. But we did not have time for Shanks to take care of a little rookie who was getting too big for his britches. I took a deep breath and reached into my pocket. My hand closed around a round piece of metal, only slightly smaller than my palm. I pulled it out and, very calmly... Threw it right into Little Bastard's face. The pocket-watch smacked right into his pointy nose and the pirate glared down at me.

"Sorry, boy," I said sweetly, catching the watch after it bounced off his nose and slid it back into my pocket. "Shanks is busy right now, so your challenge is going to have to wait."

Little Bastard leaned down and snarled into my face, "And why does some little hussy think she can decide who Red-Hair does and does not fight?" The skin between his eyes furrowed, so I think he scowled. But I wasn't sure, due to his lack of eyebrows. Does he, like, shave them off or something? "Do I know you?" He leaned even closer, his sharp nose almost brushing mine. "You kinda look like that Mar—"

"Sora, Eli—now!" I snapped, interrupting Little Bastard.

Next thing I knew, Sora and Eli both had one hand on my arm. Their other hands were tightly laced together. Looking around, it seemed like every one had stopped moving. Looking closer, I could see that time had stopped. There, a man's face was screwed up mid-sneeze. By the wall was a scared waitress, her tray of food half-tipped over. Mr. Pig was standing by the door, his finger poised to push another button on the Transponder Snail. The Time-Time Fruit that my sons had eaten was really incredible, as stopping time was just one of the many powers that came with it. But I knew that they could only keep time stopped for so long, and that time shorted with every person they 'woke' from the freeze.

I told the twins to wake up Little Bastard and Mask-Chan, mentally calculating how long we had. Three people meant we didn't even have five minutes before the twins would have to un-freeze time, so I intended to make good use of it. Right as the twins touched Little Bastard, I grabbed the front of his bandolier and threw him down onto the table he had toppled. I heard Mask-Chan gasp as Little Bastard cursed, but I held out my hand to stop Mask-Chan from moving. I walked up to Little Bastard and scowled down at him. I could feel my skirt moving by my knees and knew that I had shifted back intto my hybrid-form.

I kicked Little Bastard in the chest, pushing him back down when he tried to get up. I placed my foot at the base of his throat and said, "I told you, Shanks was busy right now. You can challenge him until you're blue in the face—once I am done with him. Until then, don't even think about it."

Little Bastard grinned up at me and grabbed my calf, right above the top of my boot. "I knew I recognized you, _Benineko,_ " he said, not even trying to stand up. "Is this your punishment for Marineford? They send you to take out Red-Hair?"

I crossed my shaking arms over my chest, deepening my scowl. "No," I snapped. "I just wanted a nice vacation with my family. It would be bad if the world found out that the _Benineko_ had children with the Emperor Red-Hair Shanks, so we are keeping it secret.'

Little Bastard's gaze shot over to the twins before looking over at the frozen Shanks. Shanks' eyes were wide, but I could see the amusement in them, and his arm was still draped over the chair I had been sitting in. "They really are his kids, huh," Little Bastard mumbled to himself. He turned his smirk back up at me and added, "What're you gonna give us to keep quiet about this? And to not challenge Red-Hair?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Who said this was an option?" I heard Mask-Chan let out a small curse behind me and I laughed. "I am _ordering you._ If you don't," I said, raising my voice to be heard over his denile, "I will rip off your balls and shove them so far down your throat you'll be shitting them out."

Little Bastard paled, but kept his scowl. "You're bluffing."

I grinned down at him and hauled him back to his feet. "Do you really wanna find out?" I purred as I sat back down.

Between one blink and the next, time started again. The man's sneeze was muffled by the crash of dishes, which made Mr. Pig jump and miss-dial. Little Bastard glance around, looking confused, before he glared down at me. He snarled that our business wasn't finished and quickly stalked out of the restaurant, his bewildered crew following him. I could feel Shanks' gaze burning holes in the side of my head, so I glanced up at him. Shanks raised his eyebrows in a silent question. I grinned and tossed him a wink before turning to our apologizing waitress, leaving Shanks to puzzle over what had just happened.

* * *

Shanks followed Elle and the boys out of the restaurant, still trying to figure out what had happened. He had been enjoying the effect he was having on Elle when Shanks had sensed a couple of strong men approaching. At the same time, Elle had groaned out a curse and covered her face. When a group of young men had entered, Shanks could tell by the look on Elle's face that she was not happy. The men had gone straight to their table and kicked it over. Shank had wanted to echo Elle's groan, as he suddenly had realized that the men were pirates who wanted to challenge him.

It happened often, pirates trying to challenge him, especially after he became one of the Four Emperors. Most of the time Shanks was able to talk them out of the challenge, but the look that was in these pirates' eyes told Shanks that that would not be the case. So he had started to pull his arm off of Elle's shoulder and thinking about how best to deal with these boys. Shanks had been just as surprised as the other pirates when Elle had thrown a pocket-watch at the leader's face. When Elle had shut down the challenge before it could happen, Shanks couldn't help but feel a little happy that she wanted to spend time with him. Logically, Shanks knew that she only needed him to help find Brutus, but he felt happy nonetheless.

But that happiness had vanished the moment he saw recognition spark behind the pirate's dark eyes. He knew who Elle was, despite her disguise. In that instant, Shanks had decided that he didn't like the boy, even as Elle yelled at her boys. Shanks had seen Sora and Eli hold hands, but an instant later, the pirate was standing several feet away from where he had been. He gave Elle a wary look before declaring that he wasn't done and left. Elle had only smiled and winked at Shanks when he had tried to ask what had happened. Shanks figured that the twins had used the same trick they had a few days before to take down Ben. But he hadn't known they could stop time for other people.

Shanks shook his head and hurried to catch up to his family, slipping slightly on the snow. The pig-like manager of the restaurant had kindly told them that there was a house just outside of town that they could stay in. Usually, it was for Jack and his crew when they came to the island, so it was kept in perfect order. After the fiasco that had just happened, Shanks knew that no inn on the island would rent to them, so he had genuinely thanked the manager. The man had even been kind enough to give them detailed directions on how to get to the house.

Shanks caught up to Elle and tried to take her hand again. The woman didn't notice and kept her hands securely in her pockets. Shanks let out a small chuckle. Despite being a cat built for winter, the Cat-Woman hated being cold. They had only been out in the snow for a few minutes, and Shanks could already see Elle shivering. Her skin was also pale, except where her cheeks, nose, and tips of her ears were bright red. Shanks wrapped his arm around Elle's waist and pulled her close to his side, sliding his cape over her shoulders.

The position they were in made it easy for Shanks to move Elle out of the path of a singing blade. Elle snarled and reached over her shoulder for her sword, turning to face their attacker as Shanks grabbed his own sword. It was the blond man from earlier, the one with the strange mask. Even though Shanks couldn't see his face, he knew that the other man was frowning in confusion at them. Behind blondie came the rest of his crew, led by the red-head from before. The eyebrow-less man gave Elle a wide smirk and held his arms out wide.

"My, my, _Benineko,"_ he said snidely. "I didn't think we would meet again so soon."

Elle scowled, but sheathed her blade. "Don't call me that," she snapped.

The pirate grinned and glanced over Elle's shoulder at Shanks. "What, does Baby-Daddy not know you're a Marine?" he asked.

"Don't be stupid," Elle growled. "Of course Shanks knows. Now shut up and get the hell outta my way."

The pirate grinned wider and held out his hand. For some reason, Shanks could feel his sword start to wiggle in his grip. He heard a rattling that stopped when Elle wrapped her hand around the hilt of her sword. "Don't be so hasty, Elle." The pirate's forehead wrinkled, like he was raising his eyebrows. "I can call you that, right? Since you don't want me to use your other name."

Elle started to say that she didn't care, but the masked man interrupted her. "Wait," he said, voice slightly muffled. "Weren't your kids here just a second ago? Where'd they go?"

"Look up," Elle said blandly, pointing at the tree above the pirates' heads. Shanks followed her finger and saw Sora and Eli perched in the tree, blades drawn. "They moved there the instant you attacked us."

Shanks had to give Elle some credit, she had taught her children well. Shanks hadn't even noticed that the twins had disappeared the moment there was danger. Knowing Elle, it was probably a common occurrence to be randomly attacked. Seeing that their children knew to get out of the way and let Elle handle the enemies eased some of the tension building in Shanks' neck. The fact that Elle had willingly pointed out the location of her sons to these pirates further eased his tension. Elle would never put her children in danger by showing them to enemies. So Shanks quietly slid his sword back into its sheath, knowing that Elle had everything covered.

The pirates in front of them were staring in wonder as the twins also sheathed their blades before easily jumping out of the tall tree. Eli and Sora quickly ran away from the pirates to their mother's side, each one stepping just behind her thighs. Elle lightly brushed the hair away from their faces before turning her attention back to the pirates. She calmly asked what they were doing, but there was a clear undertone of annoyance in her words.

The captain ignored her words, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke. "You look really different, Elle."

Shanks glanced down to see what the other pirate was talking about. Elle really did look different, now that he was paying attention. To Shanks, she had always been, and always would be, his kitten. No matter what she looked like, Shanks didn't care, so he hadn't immediately noticed the differences between her human- and hybrid-forms. Now that they were pointed out to him, Shanks took a moment to carefully study the woman before him.

Obviously, Elle no longer had cat ears or a tail, but the most noticeable difference was the color of Elle's hair. When she was little—hell, a decade ago—Elle's hair had always been a snowy white, the same color as Sora's. When in her hybrid- or cat-forms, that trend obviously held true. But now, Elle's hair appeared to be more of a white-blonde color. Her chin and nose had both softened slightly, making her sharp, cat-like face appear more human. Elle's eyes, which were usually a bright, almost glowing yellow, had muted to more of an amber brown. Looking down at her hands, Shanks could see that her nails were no longer long, sharp claws. They were still the gray-black color of Sea Prism Stone, but were now short ovals, ending just past her fingers.

Taken separately, the changes would appear more drastic. But when put together, Elle just looked—well, frankly, she just appeared to be a soft human woman. Elle seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Shanks, as she raised one eyebrow and snapped, "Yeah, no shit. I'm not in one of my cat forms."

The pirate waved her words off before pointing at Elle. "No, that's not it," he said gruffly. "You've lost weight."

Shanks was confused, as Elle had always been skinny. Earlier, he had noticed that she seemed especially so, but it hadn't concerned him. Shanks had just assumed that Elle always looked like that. But seeing the way her face lost all color and she took a step back, Shanks knew that the Cat-Woman really had lost weight. Elle started to say something, but her voice shook. She had to swallow once before she was able to ask the pirate why he thought she had lost weight.

"Your boobs are smaller," he said instantly, digging his pinky finger in his ear. "They were quiet a bit bigger on Sabaody."

The world around Shanks started to spin and he slowly looked down at the woman in front of him. Elle's face had flushed again and she was studiously ignoring his gaze. "He's seen your breasts?" Shanks murmured, unable to keep his irritation out of his voice.

Elle glanced up at him, but didn't quite meet his gaze. "No, he did not!" she said, her voice starting to sound a little shrill. "Do you think I go around just showing any guy my tits?"

Shanks ignored the other pirate as he started to laugh. "You had no problem showing me." _And that Warlord._

He hadn't said the last sentence out loud, but he knew Elle got the gist of what he had implied when she flinched slightly. "You're different," she muttered.

Shanks had leaned down closer to her so that he could hear her, close enough that their cheeks brushed. Shanks could feel the heat radiating off of her face, even after she had shifted farther away from him. He was suddenly reminded of how she had been reacting in the restaurant. And earlier, during their snowball fight. The Warlord's words echoed in Shanks' mind, _You can fight her or fuck her._ Elle was acting a lot like she had ten years ago, when she had been close to loosing control of her forms. When she got like this, Shanks would usually spar with her, if they couldn't find an enemy to clash with. But Shanks now knew of a different way to calm her down. And it was looking very attractive.

"Kitten," he said abruptly. "Do you trust these kids?" Elle gave him a confused look, as if she was asking why the hell he thought that. Shanks laughed and amended, "Do you trust that the boys would be safe with these pirates if I were to need some alone time with you?"

Elle glanced over at the pirates, who were now all frowning and grumbling at Shanks. After a long moment, Elle finally said, "I guess so. And I know that if I extended my threat from earlier to cover watching over the twins, they'll protect them."

The pirate captain laughed and stalked closer to Elle and Shanks. "You seem pretty confident," he said, his smile harsh. "Do you really think your bluff will protect your children?"

Elle let out an abrupt laugh and turned to face Shanks. "He thinks I bluffed," she said in a mock-whisper.

Shanks leaned back, a light smile on his face. "And what did you threaten him with, Kitten?" he asked mildly.

The other pirate scowled and snapped, "Elle, here, said she would rip my balls off and shove them down my throat." Shanks burst out laughing, almost doubling over. When he had slowed to mild chuckles, the pirate added, "Absurd, I know."

"Oh, that's not why I'm laughing," Shanks said with a grin. "I just thought she would have grown out of that little phase. It was Elle's favorite method of killing men when she was younger."

The pirate paled and took a step back as Elle grinned. "It's not an execution any more, Shanks," she stated. "I figured out a way to use _haki_ to cauterize the wound before they bleed to death. So now it only has a 30% mortality rate, and 20% of that is because they choked."

"Y-You can't be serious!" one of the pirates shouted, with the captain adding, "There's no way that is true!"

Elle gave the man a deadpan stare as she answered. "It's actually a very bloody procedure. And if you do it to enough men, you get covered in blood." Elle suddenly grinned, a manic glint in her eyes. "They don't call me the _Benineko_ because it sounds cute."

* * *

 _ **A/N: This is probably the longest chapter I have posted in**_ **ASN. _Things are finally starting to heat up! Ya-hoo! I decided to put Captain Kid in here because I really like him, and I feel like he can really help the story progress. As always, if I made any of the characters a little too OOC, please tell me!_**

 ** _Also, this is the last chapter that will be rated 'T'. As of the next chapter, I am going to be changing the rating to 'M'. Like I just said, things are finally going to get a little hot'n'heavy!_**

 ** _I hope you guys loved this chapter, too!_**

 ** _~Shini_**


	14. Chapter 14

_******WARNING! ADULT SITUATIONS AHEAD! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!**** That means sex, kids!**_

* * *

I ignored the shouting Kid Pirates and their captain (who was trying very hard not to let any of his fear show) and turned to Shanks. I explained to him how I could hold my _Armament Haki_ just long enough that I could flick my claws together. Somehow that made my claws get very hot, so when I cut people, the wound was instantly cauterized. I then added that a lot of stronger _haki_ users could utilize it a similar way to actually light themselves on fire. Shanks looked intrigued by what I had said and glanced down at his hand. He snapped once and his hand abruptly was lit on fire. Shanks let out a whoop of joy and shook his hand, extinguishing the flame.

As the man next to me continued playing with his new-found ability, I crouched in front of my children. "I guess the Old Man and I need to have a talk," I told them.

Both boys frowned and Eli started, "That's good. Grandpa has been saying for years—" with Sora finishing, "—That you and Red-Hair need to air out your dirty laundry."

I felt my cheeks blush slightly, but ignored it as I frowned back at the twins. "And when did you hear the Old Fart say that?" I asked, trying desperately to keep my voice calm.

"Last time he visited," Eli answered with a grin.

Sora added, "It was when you, Dadan, and Grandpa were drinking. You—"

"—Had already passed out when Grandpa said it."

My frown deepened. "I thought you guys were out training with Luffy when Garp visited."

I was answered with identical grins. "We came back to steal some meat," they said in sync.

"Why—," I cut myself off with a sigh. I rubbed my face with my hand before looking back at the boys. "Never mind, that's not important right now. Shanks and I are going to go on ahead to the house. I have a special mission for you guys, though." The smiles on their faces widened and stars appeared in their dark eyes. "I want you to take these pirates and go find the most secure, heavily guarded building on the island. Just find it for me, but don't get too close to it. Can you do that?"

The twins shouted that they could before running off to Little Bastard. As they started to explain their mission to him, Mask-Chan walked up to me. I took his hand, allowing the pirate to pull me to my feet. "You're not here just for the hot springs, are you?" he asked quietly.

I glanced over at him before looking back at Little Bastard. "No, I'm not," I answered slowly. I turned and faced Mask-Chan head-on. "Technically, I am here as a Marine. Right now, I'm sending you guys out on a little reconnaissance mission. Low danger, but I want your word that you will protect my children."

I found it unnerving to not be able to read the man's face, but I kept my eyes locked on where I assumed his eyes were. From what I had seen on Sabaody, Mask-Chan had seemed much more level-headed than his captain. The way the two men had interacted had reminded me of Luffy and his Vice-Captain, Zoro. Because of that, I felt that Mask-Chan could feel the full weight of my words, and the threat that was laced through them. Mask-Chan, much more so than Little Bastard, would be able to understand what I would do to them should any harm come to my children.

After a long, tense silence, Mask-Chan gave me a slow nod. "I understand. There is a house not too much farther up the road," he said, pointing in the direction we were heading. "We have set up camp there. We will be back before dark."

As Mask-Chan walked off to join his crew and my children, I glanced up at the sky. It was difficult to tell with the cloudy sky, but I guessed that Shanks and I would have, at most, three hours to talk. I jumped slightly when a warm arm wrapped around my waist. I glanced up at Shanks, but he was busy watching as the pirates walked away with the boys. It had been so long since I had last seen Shanks, and I hadn't wanted to look to closely at him once we were reunited. I took the chance his distraction gave me to really take a look at the pirate.

Shanks had aged in the past ten years. That was to be expected. I think out of all of us, Lucky Roo is the one who changed the least. But Shanks was far from the one who changed the most. His hair was still a deep red, falling just to his shoulders. It was longer in the front now, and seemed to have darkened slightly. There were ghosts of wrinkles on his forehead, at the corners of his eyes, and between his eyebrows. Stubble still surrounded his mouth, but had moved up his chin. His body, from what I could see with his clothing, hadn't changed much. I think he might have more muscles now, though. But his eyes, those beautiful, dark eyes had remained exactly the same. I could never forget those eyes as I saw two identical copies every time I looked at our children.

Shank's eyes looked down at me and one of his brows quirked up. "Are we going to go inside, Kitten?" he asked in his mild, deep voice.

I blushed and looked away from Shanks. I had been so engrossed in studying him I hadn't even realized that we had started walking. I looked up at the large house in front of us. It seemed to be a two story log cabin, and I could see smoke coming from the chimney. We stepped inside the door and I found myself glad that the Kid Pirates had beaten us there first. They had taken the time to start a fire in the fireplace, so it was starting to warm up. Around the room we stepped into, there were various bags, clothing, and weapons scattered about.

As I looked around, taking in all of the overly large, rustic furniture, Shanks walked straight to the staircase at the back of the house. I jogged to catch up with the pirate, climbing the stairs and making it to the second floor not long behind him. Shanks was walking down the hallway, opening and shutting all of the doors. Finally, he must have found what he was looking for, as he stepped into a room. I followed him, shutting the door behind me to block the cold air from the hallway. I turned around to face Shanks, taking in our new surroundings.

We were standing in a small bedroom, the only piece of furniture a large, double bed underneath one of the many windows. It seemed that the Kid Pirates hadn't been inside this room, so I decided that it would be mine while we stayed here. I carefully slid my bag off of my shoulder and gently set it down on the floor. I followed with my coat, carefully hanging it on the foot-board. I sat down on the bed and started to unlace my boots. All the while, Shanks watched me, his face unreadable. Once my shoes fell to the floor with loud _thump_ s, I couldn't take his silent stares any longer.

"You wanted us to be alone so that we could talk, yah?" I whispered, not wanting to make too much noise in the quiet room.

Shanks let out a small grunt before he took two steps. This put him close enough to touch my knees, and I had to look up to see his face. Still frowning, Shanks murmured, "You're having a hard time keeping control."

I frowned back and answered him, despite his words not containing a question. "Yes, I am. But how did you know?"

Shanks' lips moved in the ghost of a smile. "C'mon, Kitten," he said softly. "I spent nearly every day with you for over a decade. I can tell when you're about to lose it." I said nothing and Shanks took another step closer to me, his legs brushing between mine. I had to lean back on my arms to still be able to see his face and I felt my own heat. "Do you want me to help you?"

The sudden question shocked me, so I was only able to answer with an eloquent, "Huh?"

Shanks leaned down abruptly, resting his hand over mine as he put his face close to mine. "We can spar like we used to," he murmured. His dark gaze then slowly lowered until it rested on my lips. "Or we could try something—else."

Even as my heart skipped a beat and my breathing sped up, I felt my eyes well with tears. "I am not going to have sex with you to satisfy your petty jealousy, Shanks," I snapped, pushing the pirate away from me. I stood up and paced away from him, lacing my hands behind my head. I turned back to face him, my anger flaring. "You gave up any right to feel jealous," I said harshly.

I saw my anger echoed on Shanks' face as he stood up and stalked across the small space. I quickly stepped away from him, but found my retreat hindered by the wall. Shanks placed his hand on the wall next to my head and put his face in mine again. "I know I did! But that doesn't stop it," he growled. "I still think of that night as the biggest mistake of my life." I couldn't stop the tears from falling down my face, even as my anger sharpened. I opened my mouth to speak, but Shanks covered it. "But the second biggest mistake was sending you away."

His words knocked the wind out of my lungs. I was unable to do nothing but stare at Shanks as he pushed away from me and started to pace the length of the room. "You were still a kid," he said, more to himself than to me. "I shouldn't have let it go that far. But it doesn't change the fact that it has never left my mind since."

My heart flipped and my voice sounded raw when I asked, "What?"

Shanks spun around fast enough to make me jump. "I have had sex with plenty of women," he said, ignoring my question. "Both before and since. But every time I have had sex since that night ten years ago, it was your face I saw in my mind. It was your lips that I kissed, your skin that I caressed." Shanks was breathing heavily and he turned away from me again. "Shit! I knew right away that I made a mistake! Garp wanted me to take care of those bandits and then leave Dawn island. It should have only taken us a couple days, at most. I was there for months, just hoping that Garp would bring you there!

"I wanted to bring you back the moment you were no longer in my sight. So I waited in the place I hoped you would go, but you never came. After the incident with Luffy and that Sea King—I knew it wasn't safe for the village if we stayed there any longer. So we left. But I kept hoping that you would run away, that you would come find us. Find me." I quietly walked over to Shanks and lightly placed my hand between his shoulder blades. The man flinched, but he didn't look at me. "Three years ago, Ace told me that his sister was still mad at me. And after I heard you, heard the anger and hurt in your voice... I started looking into you. I found you once, on an island capturing a pirate. I started to go to you, but—I saw the look in your eyes. You like being a Marine."

"I—"

Shanks turned and pinned me with his dark gaze. With a sad smile, he said, "Can you honestly tell me that you don't?"

I couldn't look away from his honest stare. My mouth opened, but no sound could come out. He was right. For the first few years I was a Marine, I didn't like it at all. Hell, I downright hated it. But then Garp and Sengoku starting me sending after specific pirates and outlaws, the ones who had genuinely done harm. Not the ones like Luffy, Ace, or—hell—even Whitebeard, who were hunted _because_ they were pirates, not for what they had done. I started to like being a Marine, liked helping people when no one else could. Looking into Shanks' eyes, I knew that he could read me like an open book. So I told him the truth.

"I love being a Marine." Pain flashed across his face before it went perfectly still. Shanks started to turn away from me, so I cupped his cheek with my hand. "But that doesn't mean that I've stopped loving you."

Shanks leaned down and lightly pressed his lips against mine. He pulled back and met my gaze before slowly kissing me again, longer this time. I started to kiss him back, tilting my head slightly. A groan—his, mine, I don't know—and suddenly I was pressed against the wall behind me. My arms slid behind Shanks' neck as his hand tightly grabbed my hip. Shanks pressed his body against mine and I could feel his excitement growing against my stomach. His tongue lightly licked my lip and I quickly opened my mouth.

I fully expected Shanks' tongue to dive into my mouth and take what I was offering like the pirate he was. But he didn't. Shanks' tongue lightly licked my lip again before slowly moving deeper. He took his time to explore my mouth, his tongue lightly rubbing against mine. His hand moved under my shirt, his fingers brushing against my skin. My hand moved up to tangle my fingers in his hair as our tongues started to fence. Shanks groaned into my mouth as his hand slid lower on my back. His hand tightly grabbed my ass and suddenly I was in the air.

I let out a loud gasp before my back was pressed against the mattress. I opened my eyes and looked up at Shanks. His dark eyes were half shut, but full of heat. I sat up and started pulling at the clasp of his cape. It fell to the floor in a pool at his feet. I quickly grabbed the front of Shanks' shirt and yanked, pulling him down onto the bed. I used the momentum to flip me over until I was straddling his hips. Shanks rested his hand on my hip as I brushed some of his hair out of his face and pressed a kiss at the corner of Shanks' mouth. He turned his head, trying to capture my lips in another kiss. I quickly pulled away and gave Shanks' a sly grin.

I leaned down again and started to trail kisses down the length of his neck. Shanks made a small sound deep in his throat, tilting his head up slightly. I moved lower, lightly nipping his collarbone before moving down to the exposed part of his chest. I moved my fingers and deftly started to unbutton his shirt, pressing kisses down the center of his chest and stomach. When I released the last button, I pushed his shirt open and sat up. I looked down at his naked torso and felt my already racing heart speed up. I lightly ran my hands up and down his tanned skin. I traced the slight scars that covered his skin, noting the newer ones. I lightly ran my nails over his pecks before pushing his shirt off of his left shoulder.

Shanks started to sit up, his hand reaching for his shirt, but I placed on hand on his chest to hold him down. I looked at his face, meeting his dark gaze as I leaned down and kissed his upper bicep. I ran my hand down what was left of his arm and whispered, "Thank you—for saving him."

Shanks let out a small, husky chuckle and moved faster than I could blink. One moment I was sitting on his stomach and the next my back was pressed tightly against the mattress. Shanks had positioned himself between my legs, his arousal clear enough to make me gasp. When he had flipped us, Shanks had lost what remained of his shirt, so his bare arm was propped up next to my head. Shanks gave me a small grin before he leaned down and gave me a deep kiss, taking my breath away. Shanks pulled back too soon and his fingers pushed some hair out of my face.

"Let's not talk about Luffy right now," Shanks murmured, pushing himself up so that he was kneeling between my legs.

Shanks moved his hand so that it lightly surrounded my throat. With his thumb, Shanks softly stroked my bottom lip before pushing it just inside of my mouth. I lightly bit the tip of his finger, making Shanks chuckle again. He moved his hand down, leisurely rubbing first my neck, then my chest, before softly running between my breasts and down my stomach. Shanks grabbed the edge of my shirt and tugged it up. I sat up slightly and held my arms above my head, helping him remove the fabric. Shanks hissed in a loud breath as he threw my shirt, his gaze pinned to my chest.

My shirt had had built in support, so I hadn't bothered to wear a bra. Shanks stared down at my chest, his tongue peeking out to lightly lick his bottom lip. I started to feel embarrassed, moving my arms up to cover my breasts a I felt heat flood my cheeks. Shanks let out a low growl and grabbed my wrists, pinning them above my head. He lowered his head and lightly kissed the top of my breast before gently nipping the skin. I let out a small gasp, but it was drowned out as Shanks growled again. He sat up, releasing my wrists. He reached for the sash tied at his waist, pulling it free.

Shanks gave me a wild grin and deftly managed to tie my arms to the headboard, making me let out a small squeak of surprise. Despite only having one hand, Shanks easily tied me tight enough that I couldn't move my hands away from the headboard, but not enough to hurt. Shanks gently took my chin in his hand and gave me a deep kiss, his tongue slipping into my mouth to lightly run against mine. He pulled back too soon and I found myself lifting my head to try and reclaim his lips. Shanks' grin widened as he gently pushed me back onto the mattress.

His hand slid down to my neck before retracing his movements from a moment ago and leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake. When his fingers reached my bellybutton, he softly circled it before moving back up my stomach. Shanks continued moving his hand up my ribs until he held my breast in his hand. In one smooth movement, Shanks pinched one nipple while he pressed his lips to the other. I let out a loud gasp and felt a shiver roll down my spine.

Shanks started to lightly kiss and suck on my nipple as his hand played with the other. He interspersed his gentle caresses with sharp tugs, alternated his kisses with small nibbles. My chest heaved with heavy breaths and I found my back arching off of the bed towards him. At once, Shanks took one nipple between his teeth and the other between his fingers and he pulled on both. I let out a small cry and felt my cheeks heat again. Shanks looked up from my breast, the smile gone from his face, only to be replaced with heat in his dark eyes. Goosebumps raised all over my skin, making my already hard nipples tighten painfully.

Shanks' fingers continued to play with my nipple, but I found my lips captured by his once more. I tugged uselessly at the sash, wanting to wrap my arms around the pirate. His fingers suddenly left my breast and he swallowed my cry of dissent. Shanks sat up and looked down my body as his fingers hooked in my skirt. With one hard tug, the soft fabric was pulled down my thighs and off my legs. Shanks' gaze heated as he looked at my stocking-covered legs and the small piece of black lace between them. Shanks' hands made quick work of the clasps of my garter-belt, pulling it off like the skirt.

"Very pretty, Kitten," he said, voice rough, as he worked. "But right now, I just want you."

He promptly pulled my stockings off, pressing kisses along the inside of each leg as he worked. All too soon, I was completely bare before him, discounting the lace thong. Shanks let out a low groan and grabbed my left calf. He placed it on his shoulder and started to kiss along my inner thigh. He moved lower and lower, his kisses butterfly-soft but making my heart stutter all the same. When he reached the apex of my thighs, he looked up and met my gaze. Grinning, he reached over my hip and slowly pulled the fabric aside. I swallowed my moan as I was suddenly bared to him, his breath softly brushing against the sensitive flesh.

Shanks let out another low groan and pressed a light kiss between my legs. I gasped loudly, my hips twitching before I could stop them. Shanks repeated it once, twice, before his tongue slid out and softly licked the length of my slit. I couldn't stop my small moan, my eyes snapping closed. Shanks did it again, pressing deeper. I could feel him groan just as much as I heard him. Suddenly, Shanks wasn't taking things slow. He pressed his tongue hard against me, running his tongue along my inner depths before reaching that special spot.

I let out a loud, quick moan and he returned, running circles around that little button. My hips pressed up towards him as his lips and teeth started to accompany his tongue. My back started to arch and I pulled against my bonds. Shanks' warm hand slid from my hip and abruptly his finger joined his mouth. He softly ran his finger down my length, following the same path as his tongue. Then it found my hole and slowly slid inside. I cried out and felt my legs spread as his mouth and fingers started rubbing in tandem. My body started to shake and I couldn't keep my hips still. I was making lewd noises, crying and moaning without being able to stop. I felt myself nearing that edge—there, close!

No!

I snarled as Shanks pulled away from me, mumbling, "Shit."

Before I knew it, I heard the sound of a zipper and then—I was suddenly full and toppling over the edge. The sound of fabric ripping, the feeling of Shanks inside of and on top of me, his breath hot and heavy in my ear. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close even as my legs curled around his hips. Closer, closer! I cried out again, loosing myself to the pleasure. I could hear Shanks groaning in my ear and felt his fingers digging into my hip. He shifted again and he was suddenly deeper. I shouted, pushed over the edge.

My body arched, becoming ridged as I road wave after wave of pleasure. I could feel my nails digging into the skin of Shanks' back. I was aware of his pace increasing, his breathing becoming more and more ragged. He was murmuring something, his voice harsh in my ear. Then Shanks let out a low groan and I felt himself let loose. Shanks shouted and bit my neck, making me gasp and cry out again.

"I love you!"

I don't know who said it. It could have been me, or it could have been Shanks. I just know that we both felt it.

* * *

Shanks lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling. Elle was laying with him, her head on his bare chest and her arm around his waist, letting out small snores. Her pale hair was tangled and falling over her face and down her back. Shanks absently trailed his hand up and down her side, thinking intently on what had just happened. He had intended to either sleep with Elle, or at least aggravate her into a sparring match, so that she could regain full control. Instead, Shanks had bared his soul and placed his heart in her small hands. And, rather than smashing it like he expected her to, Elle had cautiously offered hers in return. For the first time in a decade, Shanks had made love to the girl he loved. And now she was sleeping in a contented state, holding him as if Shanks would disappear into thin air.

The last time he had found himself in this position, he had panicked. Not only had he bedded his ward (who was a minor in every country), he had enjoyed it and repeated the performance several times. Shanks had woken up to his Kitten out cold on his bed, her limbs sprawled all around him. He had carefully removed himself from her grasp, trying not to wake her. Then he had stood up and stared down at the bed, at the spot of blood that had proved he'd taken Elle's innocence away. His conscience had chosen that moment to return and punched him square in the gut. So Shanks had run. But he wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

Elle let out a small grunt and Shanks realized that his hold on her had tightened. He quickly relaxed his arm and returned to lazily stroking her side. When Shanks had finally held Elle in his arms again, he had become the happiest man on the planet. He had tasted what he had ached for for the past ten years, Elle being just as sweet as he had remembered. Despite the years, Shanks had recognized when she was about to be pushed over that orgasmic edge. He hadn't been able to hold himself back anymore and had taken her right there. And feeling Elle loose herself around him, the feeling of her nails digging into her back and her cries in his ear—Shanks hadn't been able to last long.

But his naughty Kitten hadn't been done with him, no. Elle had snarled and pushed Shanks off of her. His heart had seized and he felt terrified that she regretted what had just happened. So being surprised was putting it mildly when he felt her tongue start to lick his member. Shanks had quickly recovered, but had been roughly shoved back down when he tried to touch Elle. She had crawled on top of him and slowly lowered herself down until he was completely sheathed inside of her.

Seeing Elle move above him like that, rolling her hips and rubbing her breasts as she so clearly took her pleasure from him had been heaven. Now, Shanks knew she had slept with at least one other man. And he still felt a deep jealousy, but an unexpected emotion also welled. If that Warlord had taught Elle half of the tricks she had shown him, Shanks wanted nothing more than to thank the man. But reminiscing about what had just happened had started to excite Shanks again. Maybe feeling like a teenager again was a good thing.

Elle let out a small moan, making Shanks realize that he had subconsciously started to fondle her breast. Shanks grinned and carefully rolled over so that Elle was lying flat on her back. The Cat-Woman continued to snore softly, but let out these delightful little moans as Shanks started to toy with her hardening nipples. A low rumbled out of Shanks' throat and he started to move down her body, nipping and kissing her skin until he was between her legs once more.

Shanks spread her lips, letting out a loud groan at the sight. He tasted her again, paying careful attention to the small little nub at the top. His fingers started to explore where his tongue could not, tracing before entering her. Elle moaned loudly as he started to wiggle his fingers in time to the movements of his tongue, his erection becoming almost painfully hard as he felt their combined juices. Elle's moans became louder and more frequent, with Shanks adding another finger and having his lips and teeth start to accompany his tongue.

Fingers tightly gripped his hair, surprising Shanks as he was pulled closer to her. Shanks looked up and grinned when he saw his Kitten was awake. Her cheeks and breasts were flushed, her chest moving heavily as she bit her lip and moaned. Her hips started to move against him, exciting Shanks to the point that he groaned loudly. Elle let out a little cry and suddenly her hands were pulling Shanks' head up. Shanks allowed the woman to pull him up her body, but he couldn't stop himself from kissing her the entire way.

When their lips met, Elle promptly shoved her tongue in his mouth. They both let out a groan as Shanks started to kiss her back. He curled his finger one last time—relishing the sound she made when he did—before he removed it. Before Elle had time to lament the loss, Shanks kneed her hips apart and thrust inside of her. They both moan, Elle breaking their kiss so that she could pull him closer. Shanks set up a slow pace and started to kiss and suck on the skin of her neck. He could read her body even better than before. Shanks knew he had found that special spot when her nails broke the skin of his shoulders and her entire body arched towards him.

Shanks bit the junction of her neck and shoulder before propping himself up on his knees. He curled his arm under her knee, sliding Elle's leg up so that it rested on his shoulder. He held on to her thigh as he looked down. Shanks watched as his cock slowly slid out before retreating back inside of her delightful warmth. Shanks groaned and did it again, his hips moving faster and faster. Shanks turned his head and bit Elle's thigh, and he was rewarded with a sharp cry. His concentration was slipping, his motions becoming more and more erratic.

Shanks softly ran his hand down Elle's leg before he moved over her hip. He started to stroke her sensitive nub and watched her eyes widen. Elle's entire body started to shake, her back arching up off of the bed as her hips rose to meet his every thrust. Out of the corner of his eye Shanks could see her hands fist into the sheets of the bed. Their movements became more frantic and Shanks started to breath heavily, basking in Elle's rising cries. Elle's body froze and her back arched to an incredible degree as she pushed against Shanks. Feeling her start to pulse and orgasm around him sent Shanks over the edge as well.

With a loud groan and a mumbled curse, Shanks came. He gently kissed her trembling leg before letting it roll off of his shoulder. Shanks collapsed on top of Elle, careful to roll to the side so that he didn't hurt her. Elle was still breathing heavily and her body would tremble occasionally. She turned her head and gave Shanks a light, lingering kiss, with her hand raising to cup his cheek. She kissed him twice more before she pushed his arm off of him and sat up. Shanks growled and wrapped his arm back around her waist, curling his body towards her. Elle let out a small, breathy laugh, so Shanks lightly bit the top of her ass.

Elle let out a squeak of surprise before laughing again. "C'mon, Shanks," she said, smiling down at him over her shoulder. "It's starting to get dark; they'll be back soon."

Shanks grumbled, but he reluctantly let her go. Elle was right, of course. He knew that he couldn't continue to make love to her all night, despite what he wanted. Shanks was not inclined to ravish her with those pirates around, and even less inclined if their children were. With a heavy sigh, Shanks watched as Elle crawled to the edge of the bed. She threw her legs over before leaning down to grab a piece of their discarded clothing. Shanks watched as Elle started to toss the clothing over her shoulder and then thought better of it. Shanks scooted a little closer to see that Elle was buttoning up his shirt.

If any other person had done it, Shanks would have felt irritated that they thought he couldn't do it himself. But he knew Elle, so he knew that she was doing it because she wanted to. Elle was perfectly aware that Shanks could do anything he set his mind to, including buttoning up a simple shirt. When Elle set the garment down on the bed, Shanks grabbed her hand and softly kissed her fingers. Elle smiled down at him before she stood up to grab the rest of their clothing.

Watching Elle move was stirring him up again. Shanks hadn't had this high of a libido in years, if he ever had in the first place. And when Elle leaned down with her lovely ass facing him, Shanks' willpower ran dry. Soundlessly, Shanks moved off of the bed and padded up behind her. Before Elle could stand back up, Shanks placed one hand on her hip and pulled her back towards him. Due to their earlier lovemaking, Shanks easily slid inside of Elle, making both of them groan. Elle braced her arms against the wall as Shanks slowly started moving her hips, letting out soft, breathy moans.

Her ass was a wondrous view, but Shanks wanted more. Still moving his hips slowly, Shanks slid his hand up her side until his hand was softly cupping her breast. Shanks pulled Elle up until her back was flush against his chest. Shanks started to gently caress and squeeze her breast as he continued his thrusting, upping his pace. Elle let out a low moan and turned her head, promptly capturing his mouth. Shanks started to pull on her nipple as his thrusts continued to speed up. He groaned into her mouth, his tongue thoroughly exploring every millimeter of Elle's mouth.

One moment Shanks was buried to the hilt inside of the woman he loved, and the next he was pushed back into the wall. Shanks' eyes flashed open as Elle moved off of him, a look of panic in her eyes. Shanks glanced at the door, wondering if one of the pirates or—god forbid—their children, had shown up, but it was still tightly shut. A harsh cold breeze cut through Shanks and he glanced over to see Elle had crawled over the bed and pulled on his shirt. She had opened the window, and was currently crawling out of it. Shanks let out a shout and ran over to her, but he didn't reach the Cat-Woman before she jumped. The last thing he saw was a soft, fluffy tail before she was completely hidden by the roof.

What the hell?

* * *

 _ **A/N: Ah! They finally did it! I've been aiming for this since the concept came to mind, I just can't believe it has taken me over a year, 90+ (Word) pages, and 14 chapters to finally happen. I'm glad it finally did, though, and I feel Shanks and Elle's relationship will really start to build back up again now.**_

 _ **It was difficult for me to write this chapter, simply because it is a sexual-oriented chapter. Not because I didn't want to write Elle and Shanks doing the Horizontal Charleston, but because I know my little sister reads this. I say little, but she turned 18 a few months ago, so she is now legally an adult. I just don't like the thought of my baby sister reading things like this. Like, I had forbidden her from reading any of my more ~romantic~ Yaoi books. But my mom had a talk with me saying that she was an adult and could handle things like this. Soooo...Here it is. The first sex scene I have ever written. Ya'll better enjoy it!**_

 ** _And I always appreciate reviews (I read every one), and my heart soars with every favorite and follow! So keep 'em coming! If you have any comments or suggestions about how the story is going, or where I can improve, I greatly appreciate hearing them!_**

 ** _~Shini_**


	15. Chapter 15

There is a certain sound that a child can make that will bring every mother in the area to them. It's different for each child, but something about the tone or pitch or just the sheer urgency that calls for mothers. A woman could be in the grips of passion, her mind a total and utter haze, and she would drop everything if she heard that noise. So despite loving the feeling of Shanks inside of me, despite feeling my orgasm building, when I heard my children scream, nothing in the world could have stopped me from going to them. My children were in danger, and something didn't feel right to me.

On some subconscious level I knew that it was cold outside, so I stopped long enough to grab something to cover up with. I had to tear at the left arm with the claws of my right hand in order to be able shove my arm out. But the shirt easily fell to my mid-thighs, so it was good enough. I felt a snarl curl at my lip as I shoved the window open and jumped out. The snow on the porch roof I was standing on was shockingly cold, but I didn't let it stop me. I slid down the roof and jumped off of the gutter. I threw up my arms and bent my knees, preparing for my landing. This snow was crustier and deep enough to reach my chest, crouched down as I was. I took a slow look around the clearing, not bothering to stand up just yet. I didn't see my children, but I found someone who could tell me what was going on.

The Little Bastard was scowling deeply, a snarl on his face as he stalked across the clearing. "Where are those little brats?" he growled, placing his hand on the butt of his pistol.

I waited for the pirate to get closer to me before I launched out of the snow. I landed on his chest, pushing Little Bastard back into the snow. His dark eyes were wide as they looked up at me. I curled my claws around his throat and snarled, "If you take one more step, Mask-Chan, I will rip out his throat." Only silence answered me, which I took as confirmation that Mask-Chan wouldn't attack me. "Where are they?" I growled to Little Bastard.

"You bitch," he snapped, "what the hell are you doing to me?! I—I can't move!"

I tightened my hold, my claws sinking into his skin. "Where are my boys?!" I shouted, my panic starting to rise above my anger. "Tell me! Now!"

Movement behind me, the sound of a door opening and closing, the murmur of worried voices; nothing distracted me from the pirate in front of me. I snarled at him, my claws digging deeper into the skin of his throat. The pirate started gasping, but because of my Sea Prism Stone claws, the Devil Fruit eater could do nothing to stop me. He continued to glare up at me, and I felt the threads of my self control snapping one by one. I growled and prepared myself to rip his throat out, but was stopped by a small hand on my shoulder.

I looked up sharply and was greeted with the sight of my sons. My safe, totally unharmed, sons. I let out a cry and pushed myself off of the pirate. I tackled the twins, wrapping my arms around them and rubbing my face against the tops of their heads. I closed my eyes to try and combat my tears, placing one hand on the back of their heads. I pulled them to my chest and tried to take in deep breaths. I heard snow crunch and felt Shanks kneel down next to me, but I didn't open my eyes. I relaxed slightly when he placed his large hand on my back, but I still couldn't let go of Sora and Eli. I could feel their hands hitting my back, so I loosened my hold enough that they could breathe again. Both boys took the chance to slip out of my grasp, falling back into the snow.

I looked them over, searching for any sign of injury. Thankfully, I found none. But I couldn't understand why they had screamed, nor why all of the hair on my body stood at attention. I cautiously pulled my gaze off of my sons and scanned the pirates slowly getting nearer. None of them were injured, or even showed signs that they had been in a battle. Wait—Scratch that. Mask-Chan had a clump of snow on the top of his mask and the Little Bastard's nose was extra red. One look at the mischievous eyes of my children and I understood. They had ambushed the Kid Pirates with snowballs and then had probably hidden. Mask-Chan must have found them first, scaring them and making the boys scream.

That explained why I had heard them, but didn't explain my odd feeling. I looked away from the humans around me and into the forest beyond them. I opened my senses and started using my _Perception Haki._ Nothing out of the ordinary for me. I glanced over my shoulder at Shanks. He shook his head, his lips pressed together. So he couldn't sense anything either. I took several deep breaths, the cold air searing my nose and lungs, but I still couldn't calm down. I clenched my shaking hands, trying to will my body to still. My lip started to curl into a snarl, but was paused by a low grumbling.

I looked in shock at Eli. He had a hand on his stomach and his face was bright red. "Are you two hungry?" I asked them. Before they could answer, Sora's stomach echoed Eli's. I wanted to smile, but my nerves wouldn't let me. "Okay. I'll go catch some meat, then I'll make some stew."

I stood back up and ran off into the forest, my claws and fangs lengthening in anticipation of the hunt.

* * *

Shanks stood up as he watched Elle vanish into the trees. When she was finally completely out of sight he was able to release his breath. When Elle had suddenly hopped out of the window, Shanks had known that something was wrong. So he had quickly pulled on his pants and shoes, clasping his cape as he ran out of the room. Shanks would have also grabbed his shirt, if it hadn't been snatched by the Cat-Woman first.

When Shanks had ran outside, he had been shocked to see Elle straddling the young pirate captain's chest. If it hadn't been for the claws around his throat and the murder in her yellow eyes, Shanks might have felt jealous. As it was, he felt a twinge of sympathy for the younger man. Shanks spotted the masked man standing several paces behind Elle, a blade tightly grasped in each hand. Shanks quietly walked over and asked the masked man what had happened. The blond turned his face towards Shanks before glancing back at the snarling woman and murmuring that he had no idea.

It didn't matter what had happened, not really. Shanks just had to figure out how—shit! Her stripes! Shanks had felt his blood go cold as he watched Elle slowly loose control. Shanks noticed Eli and Sora walk up to Elle and Shanks placed his hand on his sword. He would protect their children, even if it meant going against their mother. Elle surprised Shanks, though. She had tackled her children in a hug, holding them tightly to her. Elle's stripes appearing meant she was one small step away from fully loosing control and going Berserk. But her children had managed to easily calm that Berserker beast itching to be freed. Shanks still didn't trust it, though, so he had walked over and crouched down next to Elle. He had placed his hand on her back, ready to throw her away from the kids if he needed to.

Shanks had figured that Elle had been worried about her children and that was why she had been so on edge. He had thought that seeing her children safe and sound would quell her anger. But her tail was still fluffed up, her ears were still turned back, and her stripes were still visible. Elle's pale cat-eyes scanned the area, looking for something. Shanks joined her, sweeping the area with _haki._ Nothing unusual, which is what he passed on to Elle. She still seemed on edge, though, and Shanks had struggled to find something to distract her with.

Eli ended up saving the day when his stomach growled. Elle had offered to hunt and cook before leaving. Hunting was good; it allowed her to safely release her blood lust. Cooking, on the other hand? Shanks felt his stomach start to riot at the thought. The last time Elle had cooked for him almost killed Shanks, and over half of the crew as well. Elle was many things, but a chef she was not. Shanks hesitantly glanced down at his children and was dumbfounded. They looked excited to eat Elle's food! Did the poor kids not know any better?

Sora looked up and grinned at Shanks. "Mama's stew is the best!" he exclaimed.

Eli joined in on his brother's excitement and also grinned at Shanks. "She can't cook anything else," he said, and Sora joined in to complete his sentence, "But she makes awesome stew!"

Shanks couldn't help but to return the twins' smiles. Rubbing his chin, Shanks said, "Really? Because what she last cooked for me would make any executioner's job really easy."

The boys both started to laugh, curling over and grabbing their stomachs. Ah, so they _had_ had some of Elle's cooking. Seeing that Sora and Eli knew what Elle's cooking could turn into and that they were still excited for the stew settled Shanks' nerves. Shanks fondly ruffled Eli's hair before glancing at the pirate walking towards them. The captain had lost any and all humor that had been in his face and his non-eyebrows were pulled into a scowl. The man opened his mouth to speak, but it fell down in shock and his eyes looked past Shanks.

Confused, Shanks turned around and saw something leaving the forest. What he saw was a dark red figure trudging through the snow. In each hand the figure held onto antlers from two stags easily three times its size. As the crimson figure got a little closer, Shanks could see that it was Elle. Covered in blood, her ears and tail clearly visible, Shanks understood why the world had given her the epithet of _Benineko._ She looked like a crimson cat pulled straight from the bowels of Hell. Shanks felt a twinge of fear enter his heart and he had to swallow past the lump in his throat. Hunting was supposed to calm Elle, not make it worse!

Shanks slowly moved so that he was standing between Elle and the twins. She spared him a small glance when she stopped before looking back at the other pirate captain. "Clean these," she growled, her voice deeper and harsher than normal. Elle had started to walk back towards the house, leaving small red footprints in the snow, but the man's response made her stop short. Shanks held his breath as he watched Elle slowly turn her head to glare at the pirate. Elle softly asked him to repeat what he had said.

"No," the pirate said again, crossing his arms over his chest. Shanks shifted his feet into an easier stance, getting a feel for the slick snow underneath his sandals. "You keep ordering me around like I have to listen to you. Just because you're some hotshot from Marine HQ doesn't mean I have to watch your brats while you go off and fuc—"

Shanks had very little warning. It was only because he had spent so much time with Elle and had to learn her tells that he was able to move as fast as he did. When the other pirate had started talking, Elle had tilted her head to the side with a bored expression on her face. Shanks wasn't sure which part of the other man's words set her off, he just noticed her top lip twitch and her ears go flat. Shanks moved fast, shooting towards Elle. He didn't aim for her body or arms, just slid right into her legs to knock her off balance. Before the Cat-Woman had the chance to recover, Shanks threw himself over her, grabbing Elle's arms and pinning them behind her back.

Elle was snarling harshly into the snow, her words barely recognizable. Shanks glanced up at the pirate to see he had fallen back on his ass. There were three shallow scratches across his throat from Elle's claws. The boy was lucky to have survived an attack from Elle with so little damage. If Shanks had been a millisecond slower the pirate wouldn't have a throat anymore. When the younger man's wide eyes looked at Shanks, he could see the understanding slowly fill them. The pirate knew that Shanks had saved his life, and the scowl that pushed aside the shock told Shanks he didn't like it. But Shanks would deal with the younger man later.

Elle's snarls had quieted, but were no less vicious. "Kitten," Shanks said, his grip tightening on her wrists. Elle kept snarling, so Shanks spoke sharper. "Elle, that is enough. You have no reason to kill them."

Elle's face slowly turned towards Shanks, and there was nothing human in her yellow cat-eyes. The stress of going after Brutus was beginning to wear on her, Shanks realized. Under almost any other circumstance, Elle's body would be too exhausted to go Berserk. Shanks had noticed that she didn't have much of an appetite, eating less than half of what she could've ten years ago. Elle had dark circles under her eyes, so Shanks knew she wasn't sleeping well. And their afternoon activities had worn her out even more than she already was from her lack of nourishment and sleep. It was a miracle that Elle was even conscious, let alone going Berserk.

But taking down Brutus is not some small task to Elle. Confronting him was confronting her past and everything that had been done to her. To make mattes worse, Elle's children were on that island as well. Elle had to beat her own demons while at the same time keeping her children safe. It seems like this mission was forcing Elle to constantly be on the edge of losing control. Because, despite not being able to control her actions when she went Berserk, Elle was the strongest she could be in that state. And Shanks could suddenly fully understand why she wanted him there. For whatever reason—be it that Shanks is stronger than her or that her feral side saw him as Alpha or some other reason—Shanks was able to help control her Berserk form.

Seeing the hatred in her eyes, though, shook Shanks' resolve. Yes, Shanks was physically stronger than Elle. And, yes, he could take her out if he needed to. But that did not make it any easier on him. So Shanks frowned down at Elle and replaced his hand with his knee. Kneeling on her back, his knee pressed hard to keep her hands still, Shanks ground his teeth together before he grabbed a handful of Elle's hair he shoved her face into the snow, ignoring the shocked gasps and murmurs from the men surrounding them.

Shanks held Elle like that for a moment before her struggles stopped. He pulled her head back up and glared into her face. "Enough, Elle," he growled. "These men are not a danger to Sora and Eli. But if you continue to be in this state you risk the chance of _them_ finding you. And then the twins _will_ be in danger. Do you understand me, Kitten?"

Shanks watched as the feral look slowly slid off of Elle's face as he spoke. His words were getting through to her, and Shanks could see her mind clear behind her pale eyes. When he was done speaking, Elle's body shifted around, becoming smaller. Her ears morphed back into her head and Shanks could no longer feel her tail angrily batting his legs. Her fangs shrank until they were gone and her claws slowly slid from the skin around Shanks' knees. Elle was human again, but Shanks could still feel her anger, irritation, and fear. So he still did not release her.

"Shanks, I'm fine," she murmured, going utterly limp. Shanks nodded and he slowly moved his body off of Elle, but he still kept his fingers knotted into her blood-stiffened hair. Elle moved her bruised hands underneath her and pushed up into a sitting position. "I apologize, Kid," she said, meeting the pirate's eyes. "I don't mean to order you around. I am just cold and wanted to go shower. I figured it would be easier if you guys cleaned the game so that I could get straight to cooking when I get out."

The young pirate didn't stop scowling. "Why the hell would we clean your meat?" he snapped.

Shanks' body tensed, but Elle just gave the pirate a confused look. "Did you guys already eat?" When the pirate returned her confusion, Elle added, "I killed two because I figured they would give us enough meat for everyone."

Shock replaced the confusion on the pirate's face, and was in turn replaced with mirth. The pirate threw back his head and barked out a laugh. "Are you trying to say that after threatening my manhood, ordering me to watch your brats, and then attempting to kill me, you're going to feed me?" The pirate smirked at Elle. "You have an impressive set of brass balls, for a woman."

Elle smirked right back, her hand landing on Shanks' thigh. She gave it a quick squeeze and Shanks automatically released his hold on her hair. As one, they stood up and face the pirate. "If you would do what I say, I wouldn't have to threaten or kill you." Elle crossed her arms over her chest. Shanks knew she did it to try and appear intimidating, but he could see her body shivering. Now that her anger was quelled, the poor kitten was getting cold. "So clean that meat and we'll eat."

Elle quickly turned around and started moving towards the house. Shanks could see she was trying to move fast without appearing to do so. And it worked, for the most part. But Shanks couldn't stop his smile. Poor thing's feet were bright red and probably freezing. Shanks started to follow his Kitten, the twins hot on his heels, but stopped when the masked man asked for them to wait. As one, the family turned and silently regarded the pirates. Elle raised one eyebrow and started to tap her foot, like she was impatient. Her jaw moved and Shanks bit his lip to keep from laughing. She was shivering now.

"You're not here just for the hot springs?" the masked man asked. "Are you?"

Shanks glanced over at Elle, meeting her pale stare. She shrugged and then took a deep breath. When she spoke, her voice was strained as she tried to keep her teeth from chattering. "No, we're not." The captain opened his mouth to speak, but Elle continued, "I'll explain everything to you kids, but only _after_ I have showered and eaten."

And, with that, Elle turned and ran inside the house.

* * *

I stood under the cold water with my arms wrapped around me. I was shivering badly and I couldn't keep my teeth from chattering, but I had no choice. I knew that it was a bad idea to instantly submerge my half-frozen body in hot water right away. So I was stuck standing under cold water that I slowly warmed up. I heard the door to the shower open behind me, but I didn't bother to open my eyes. It was Shanks; I held felt him approaching before he had even reached the door. I turned the water up more and it finally started to feel a little warm. I let out a soft sigh, my body relaxing slightly as my shivering slowly abated.

A couple of snaps and the smell of berries filled the room. I jumped slightly when Shanks' warm hand started to wash the blood from my back, but I relaxed back against him. I turned the water up again when he started to wash down my legs and again before he had me turn to face him. The water was finally warm enough that I felt comfortable to lean my head under the spray. I could feel the blood and soap run down my back, even as I was distracted by Shanks washing me. There was nothing sexual about his movements, allowing me to fully decompress as I let someone take care of me for the first time in over fifteen years.

I opened my eyes and was glad to see that the water was no longer running red or pink. I glanced over and saw Shanks. He was just as naked as I, but his dark gaze was carefully staring at my face. There were goosebumps all over his skin and dried blood all over his chest, knees, and arm. I gently tugged at his arm and switched places with him. As Shanks took his turn under the spray, I returned his kindness and gently washed the blood away. When his body was clean, I had Shanks sit down as I turned off the water. I washed Shanks' hair, loving the way I saw his shoulders loosen. I let Shanks rinse his own hair as I washed mine.

When I was done, Shanks asked, "Do you want to take a bath as well?"

I could feel the pirates downstairs starting to get impatient, so I shook my head. "No," I said, then grinned up at Shanks. "We're going to sit in a bath all day tomorrow, anyway."

Shanks chuckled and followed me out of the shower. We dried off in comfortable silence before getting dressed. Shanks pulled on an outfit almost exactly what he had worn earlier, except these weren't covered in blood. I pulled on my typical underclothes, the white band and shorts, before digging through my bag. I knew I couldn't wear them down around those pirates, so I started searching for something that I could. I glanced up at Shanks to see conflicting emotions playing across his face. I could see arousal warring with jealousy and had to turn to hide my smile. His reaction was almost enough to go down like this. Almost.

I finally decided to just pull on the clothing I had worn for my nap earlier. The shorts, while denim, were very stretchy and soft, so they were very comfortable. The white tee-shirt I pulled on fit my body tightly, but was just as comfortable as the shorts. After running a brush through my hair, I turned and face Shanks. I held out my hands and raised my eyebrows before jokingly asking if Shanks approved of my outfit. The pirate slowly walked around me and I could feel his eyes rove over my body like invisible hands. Shanks stopped walking when he was in front of me again and his lips quirked into a small smirk. He reached out and placed his hand on my ribs. Faster than I could react, Shanks' thumb softly brushed against my hardening nipple.

Shanks chuckled at my small gasp and leaned down so that his cheek was pressed against mine. "You look lovely, Kitten," he murmured in his gruff voice, his breath soft on my ear. "But we don't have time to play right now."

I growled and lightly punched his stomach. Shanks let out a small grunt as I turned and walked out of the room, grabbing my _katana_ on the way. I could hear laughter as I made my way down the hall, the volume increasing as I descended down the stairs. Walking on light feet, I followed the laughter into the living room. The twins were telling the Kid Pirates the story of the last time I had tried cooking something other than stew. The boys were just like their father in that they had an innate ability to take any story and make it into something wonderful. All that had happened was Dadan wasn't prepared for my dinner and ended up chasing me out of the house. But the way Sora and Eli were telling the story had all of the pirates rolling around on the floor with tears streaming out of their eyes.

Little Bastard glanced up and saw me, which only made him laugh harder. I felt my cheek start to twitch as I crouched behind the twins. "Keep talking, boys," I said sweetly, "and I'll try that dish again."

Both boys shut their mouths quickly, their bottom lips almost touching their noses. I had to bite the inside of my own lip too keep from grinning. The look reminded me so much of Luffy that it was almost painful, but brought back memories that just made me want to laugh. As I praised my kids for their wise decision, the Kid Pirates slowly started to sober. The Little Bastard sat up and gave me a wary stare. In a slow tone, he asked if I would really punish them like that. I grinned at him, but Shanks answered the question with a snort. Shanks told Little Bastard that I never make a promise that I don't keep. I winked at the pale pirate before standing back up.

Resting my _katana_ over my shoulder, I asked, "Did you guys clean the venison?"

Little Bastard cleared his throat and some color returned to his face. "We did," he said, reclining back on his hands. "Your brats also made us drag out a giant pot and the veggies, too."

I nodded. "Good." I pointed at the large fire pit in the middle of the kitchen and said, "Get a fire going while I go cut the meat." I started to walk outside when a thought occurred to me. "Hey, Mask-Chan, do you eat with that thing on?"

Despite not being able to see his face, I could still feel the glare Mask-Chan leveled my way. As his captain and the rest of the Kid Pirates tried to stifle their giggles, Mask-Chan snapped, "Yes, why?"

I gave him a lopsided grin and answered, "I needed to know how I should cut the meat."

I turned back to the door and unsheathed my sword. I hadn't seen it in well over a decade, but it looks like Shanks had kept it in perfect condition. I softly set the sheath down on a table and opened the door. It was then that I found a problem. It had started to snow again, and the only light outside came from the house and the full moon. Goosebumps popped up all over my skin as a freezing breeze entered the house and my toes started to ache. I let out a small groan and heard Shanks chuckle behind me.

"Kitten," he teased, "Are you sure you still even know how to use a sword? Especially since you can't even remember to grab your shoes on a _winter_ island?"

I snapped my head around to face him, but my glare softened when he set my boots down in front of me. I roughly shoved my _katana_ into his hand and started to put my boots on as I answered. "Yes, I don't usually fight with a sword," I snapped. "But I train with Mi-Chan for several days every six months."

Little Bastard walked forwards, his forehead wrinkled in a frown when he saw Shanks' surprised face. "Who the hell's 'Mi-Chan'?" he growled.

"Uncle Mi-Chan is a Warlord," Sora answered from his spot on the couch. Eli added, "Though Mama's the only one to call him that." Together, they said, "Most people call him 'Hawkeye' Mihawk."

Little bastard turned his surprised glare on me. "You're telling me that you've trained with the Greatest Swordsman in the world over twenty times in the past decade?" he snapped.

"Nooo," I drew the word out, standing up and took my sword back from Shanks. "I've been training with Mi-Chan rough two times a year for the past twenty."

If the eyes of the Kid Pirates popped any farther out of their skulls, they would sever completely. "P-Prove it, then," the captain finally managed to say.

I grinned widely at the men before using _Shave._ When I had stopped moving, I was in the middle of the yard and thin strips of meat and vegetables were falling into the pot. Thankfully, the meat had partially frozen, so there was not a spec of blood on my _katana_ as I turned around to face the house. I gave my audience a theatrical bow before tossing my sword at Shanks. The pirate easily caught the blade and smoothly slid it back into the sheath. Shanks held the door open wide as I grabbed the pot and walked inside. It was as large as I was, but was no trouble to move. I walked it into the kitchen and set it down on the fire. I grabbed a hair-tie off of my wrist and tied my long hair back. It was time to get to cooking.

* * *

 _ **A/N: In case you guys haven't noticed, Elle loves giving people nicknames, but only for the people she likes. Sora and Eli tend to copy her nicknames as well.**_

 _ **In the next chapter, I will be revealing the true reason why Kid is still hanging around, despite Elle's lovely threat to his manhood. So look forwards to that. But that is all I have for now, my lovelies! I hope you continue to enjoy**_ **Akagami Shiro Neko _!_**

 ** _~Shini_**


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: This chapter is a little dialog-heavy, but I did the best I could!**_

* * *

Shanks sat at the table with his arm propped on the edge, supporting his head. A little half-smile curled his lips as he watched Elle move about the kitchen. She was adding various sauces and liquids to the boiling pot before stirring it vigorously. It was almost comical watching the Cat-Woman stir the pot, as it was almost as tall as she was. But Elle looked perfectly at home with cooking, grinning and talking with her children as she worked. Her long, pale hair was tied back at the base of her skull, but was starting to come loose and frame her face. Her amber eyes were alight with joy and she continued to stir the pot as she reached down to pinch Eli's cheek.

"You really care for the _Benineko,_ huh, Red-Hair?"

Shanks jumped slightly when the younger pirate spoke. He had forgotten that they were there. Shanks glanced at the young man and his grin widened. "'Course I care for her," he said lightly. "She's my Kitten."

The young pirate gave Shanks a wary stare before his lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Yeah, guess that's true," he said lightly. "But how much does she care for you?"

Elle had always been abnormally good at sensing when Shanks' mood would shift, and a decade apart hadn't changed that. So despite Shanks keeping his easy smile in place, he noticed Elle glance at him. Shanks winked at her before he answered the other pirate. "I know how much she cares for me," he chuckled. "But why do you ask?"

The kid's smile grew and he leaned back so that his chair was resting on the back two legs only. He crossed his bare arms over his chest before he spoke. "I'm just not sure how much she cares for anyone other than her kids." The brat seemed to raise one of his eyebrows and continued, "She made me take them so you two could spend the afternoon fooling around, but a month ago she was watching her previous lover die in front of her eyes. If she cared for either one of you, why is she hopping into your bed so soon?"

Shanks couldn't keep his genial smile on his face any longer and frowned at the younger pirate. What was this kid talking about, her previous lover? Shanks had talked to the man yesterday; there was no way he could've died in front of Elle's eyes. A loud bang broke the tense silence and Shanks glanced over to see that Elle had slammed a lid down on the pot. She stalked over to the table and pulled out a chair across from Shanks and the bratty pirate. She braced her arms on the table and leaned towards them, her brows drawn together in a scowl. She snarled at the kid, asking what the hell he was talking about. Shanks settled back in his own chair, silently seconding her question.

The pirate barked out a laugh and said, "Don't be coy, now, _Elle._ " Both Shanks and Elle deepened their frowns, but remained silent. The other pirate laughed again and continued, "Fine, I guess I'll spell it out for ya. Did you really think that a high-profile Marine like yourself could visit the _Moby Dick_ a minimum of once a month for three years and not be noticed?"

Elle snorted and leaned back. She slouched in her chair and mirrored the younger pirate's body language. "Yeah, I had drinks with the old man. So what?" she snapped.

The pirate took the same position Elle had just been in, leaning forwards with his arms braced on the table. "So what?" he asked, laughter still in his voice. "So the entire world started wondering why. Most people agreed that you were visiting your lover, but no one could agree on who it was. It was narrowed down to two choices: Marco the Phoenix or Fire-Fist Ace." Elle's eyebrows raised and the pirate's grin widened. "Personally, I used to think it was the Phoenix _,_ but after seeing your actions during the War, I'm betting it was Fire-Fist _._ Hell, look at you now. You've lost a shit-ton of weight since the last time I saw you."

Shanks had to quickly cover his mouth as he observed the Cat-Woman, noticing that his sons were doing the same. A look of absolute horror stole over Elle's face, making her eyes wide and her skin wan. Moving like a mechanical doll, Elle slowly turned to face Shanks. "W-was that a common thought?" she asked slowly. "Did people really think Ace was my lover?"

Shanks managed to swallow his laughter, but couldn't keep it from coloring his tone. "Sorry, Kitten, but yes." Shanks coughed, slowly losing to his rising humor. "I'd even heard it."

"Huh." Elle slumped in her seat, making her face fall into shadow. Her thin shoulders started to shake and her hands moved to cover her face. Shanks started to stand up, but was pushed back into his seat when Elle exploded. "Nyahahahaha!"

She started to laugh so hard that tears started to pour from her eyes. One hand covered her stomach, as if she was trying to hold herself together, and her other hand started to pound on the table. Seeing Elle's over the top reaction made Shanks and the boys unable to hold in their laughter any longer. They burst out laughing too, the surprised-slash-irritated look on the other pirate's face making it even more funny. Elle covered her mouth and all four of them started to calm down. But when Shanks' gaze met hers, they all burst into giggles once again. The younger man glared harshly at the two of them and Elle pressed her lips tightly together. Shanks tried to swallow his laughter and managed to calm down.

Finally, Elle managed to speak without breaking into giggles after every word. "I-I'm sor—nyaha!—I'm really sorry," she said breathlessly. "It's just—when I imagine the look on Ace's face when he heard that rumor—Nyahaha!" Elle took a deep breath and bit her lip, but was unable to stop her grin. "I just wish I could have been there to see it!"

"And what is so funny about it?" the younger pirate snapped.

Elle placed her elbows on the table and propped her head up in her hands. Grinning at the kid, she said, "Considering I'm his big sister, I doubt he even noticed that I was a woman. And the thought that we could be lovers? Nyaha! It's just laughable."

Shanks stood up with a quiet chuckle, relishing the look of shock that crossed all of the other pirates' faces. He walked over to the pot and took the lid off so that he could stir the stew for Elle. "Wait!" the captain snapped. "Ace was your brother?"

"Yup."

"And the Straw Hat?"

Elle's grin widened. "He's my baby brother!"

The boy slumped back in his chair, his mouth hanging open wide as he took in Elle's words. Finally, he said, "That explains a lot."

"Explains what?" Shanks asked as he brought a spoonful of stew over to Elle. She took it in her mouth and considered for a moment before she said it needed to cook more. Shanks nodded and went back to stirring the pot.

The other pirate scowled at Shanks and said, "On Sabaody, Elle, here, laughed when Straw Hat punched a Celestial Dragon in the face. She then told Silvers Rayleigh to watch over her baby brother for her."

Shanks looked over at Elle with his eyebrows raised high. Elle shrugged and said, "What? I've bought him back from the slave auctions enough times that he owes me. And since _I_ can't actively help Luffy, might as well get someone who _can_."

Okay, not what he wanted to know, but Shanks filed the information away for a later date. Shanks also decided that he needed to have a talk with his old Vice-Captain. Before tonight, Shanks would've loved to catch up over drinks with the old man. Now, he wanted to ask about how Elle's life has been and what he thought of Luffy. Shanks smiled slightly at the thought. He knew that Rayleigh would see in Luffy what Shanks had ten years ago. And he also knew that Luffy was about to become stronger than ever if he was spending time with Rayleigh. Glancing at Elle, Shanks could see a deep love and pride across her face, even if it was tinged with the sadness of Ace's death.

Shanks decided that, once all of this business with Brutus was over, he was going to sit down and have a long talk with Elle. He wanted to hear all about what she had been up to this past decade. Shanks wanted to know what made her become so close with those boys, maybe even learn who the 'S' on her back belonged to. More than that, Shanks wanted to hear about how his sons grew up. He wanted to learn about how they ate their Devil Fruit and why, exactly, they called Luffy 'Papa'. Shanks just wanted to sit down and listen to Elle's stories.

Shanks knew who she had been when he had last seen her sailing away on Garp's ship. And he could still catch glimpses here and there of the girl she had once been. But now Shanks wanted to get to know the woman she had become. Shanks walked over to Elle and gently cupped her cheek in his head. He leaned down and kissed her, nothing more than a slight meeting of their lips. With that, he promised that he would meet the woman named Elle. With that kiss, Shanks promised that he would love her for the rest of his life.

Elle blinked up at Shanks, her cheeks a light shade of pink. "I, ah, think the stew is ready," she murmured and quickly stood up.

* * *

I set two giant bowls of stew down on the table, one in front of Eli and the other in front of Sora. I could sense the Little Bastard and his crew giving them skeptical looks and knew that they were wondering if the small boys could really eat so much in one sitting. I'll admit that I gave the bowls a skeptical look as well, when I was pulling them out of the cabinet. But those were the largest ones I could find, so Sora and Eli would just have to get seconds. After I made two more (smaller) bowls of stew, I told the pirates that they were welcome to eat. I set one bowl down in front of Shanks, carefully avoiding his eyes, before sitting down next to him.

We all ate in a comfortable silence, everyone enjoying their dinner. When Shanks had first tasted it and commented that it was delicious, I couldn't help the small purr that bubbled out of my chest. I might get tackled any time I try to make something else, but I knew that I could make a damn good stew. I knew that, but Shanks' approval of it was something I hadn't realized I needed until I had it. I was so pleased that I had eaten over half of my bowl before I started to feel full. I forced myself to finish my bowl, even as I watched Shanks, the twins, and several of the pirates get up for seconds.

Two months ago I had been able to eat on the same level as the Old Fart and my brothers. But it felt like my appetite had died with Ace. In the days follow his death, Doffy had forced me to eat using his String-String Fruit. That was probably the only reason I was still alive, as I couldn't bring myself to eat. Every piece of food that had entered my mouth tasted like ash, stuck in my throat like glue, and turned to rocks in my stomach. The entire two weeks I was on Dress Rosa, I never ate on my own once. The only reason I started eating again in the first place is because Vice-Captain had said I was setting a bad example for Luffy. How could I expect my brother to eat and get stronger if I was not willing to do the same? I still couldn't eat like before, but I was getting better every day.

I stared at the last bite of venison in my bowl, my hand shaking slightly from the white-knuckled hold I had on my spoon. I took a deep breath and scooped up the meat, shoving it in my mouth. My stomach was rioting, but I forced my jaws to chew the bite and my throat to swallow. With a heavy sigh, I dropped my spoon in the bowl and leaned back in my chair. Across from me sat the Little Bastard, giving me a deep stare as he ate his second bowl of stew. He took another bite and chewed for a long moment before he spoke.

"Alright, you've cleaned an eaten," he snapped. "Now tell us why you're here."

I stifled my groan and pulled my hair free. I finger-combed my still-damp hair as I contemplated how best to start. When the pirate started to let out little irritated growls, I shrugged and said, "You know of Vega Punk, right?" He nodded, not surprising. Vega Punk was the most famous scientist in the world. "And Caesar Clown?"

Little Bastard's scowl deepened and he snarled, "Just get to the damn point."

I snarled right back at him. Fine, if he didn't want to wait for the full explanation, I'd give him the abridged version. "I am here to capture Brutus and bring him back to Marine HQ."

"Who the fuck is Brutus?"

I gave the Little Bastard a snarky grin. "I got to the point," I taunted. "You're the impatient dick who didn't want to hear the full story."

Little Bastard tried to say something, but Mask-Chan cut him off by "accidentally" whacking his face with a spoon. Mask-Chan said, "Ignore him, Elle-San. We know who Caesar Clown is, but not what he has to do with you."

I nodded and leaned back in my seat. "And you know why Caesar is famous?" All of the pirates nodded, so I continued, "What most people don't know is that Caesar was not the first assistant of Vega Punk's to go rouge. Though he was the flashiest." Shanks snorted next to me and I grinned at him. I was glad someone realized I was making fun of another clown with that last sentence.

"About twenty-five years ago, give or take," I explained, "Brutus was the first assistant to go rouge. He had been in charge of researching Devil Fruits, specifically how to make them more powerful. The World Government had authorized the research, but disagreed with Brutus' way of conducting that research."

"What was this Brutus dude doing that made the World Government squirm?" the Little Bastard asked around a mouthful of food.

I shrugged. "I'm sure the majority of what Brutus did disgusted the World Government, but I was told it was the kids that crossed the line." When the Little Bastard asked about the kids, I said, "As soon as children were born, Brutus was taking them away from their parents. Once those kids were old enough to eat solid food, he fed them Devil Fruits and started his experiments."

Little Bastard's already pale face blanched even more and he quietly asked what kind of experiments Brutus conducted. That is when my mouth went dry and I found myself unable to speak. Shanks glanced at me before gently resting his hand on my thigh. He said, "From what I know, Brutus did just about everything imaginable. He tried to make Logia-users immune to _haki,_ gave Zoan-users Sea-Prism Stone claws and fangs, kept Paramecia-users in salt water for days on end to try and make them immune to the ocean. Obviously not all of his subjects survived, but those that did, did indeed become stronger than normal Devil Fruit eaters."

There were several moments of a deep, tense silence as the other pirates digested what Shanks had said. Sora and Eli pushed aside their bowls, the scraping noise breaking the silence. The twins said that they would go do the dishes while we finished talking, making my heart ache. The subject of Brutus and what he had done was not an easy one, but Garp and Sengoku had agreed that it was best for them to know the truth of what had happened to me. The boys didn't like to be reminded of it any more than I did, but they knew that we had to talk about it. So as they walked by, I gave each of my sons a hug and a kiss on the tops of their heads, telling them how proud I was of them.

The Little Bastard was jerked out of his stunned silence and quickly ordered the majority of his crew to assist the boys. I smiled my thanks, but didn't say anything. When the Little Bastard, Mask-Chan, Shanks, and I were the only ones still sitting at the table, Mask-Chan asked in a quiet voice, "You were one of those children, weren't you?"

Before I could answer, Little Bastard looked at me sharply and muttered, "Shit. Your nails. That's why I couldn't use my powers earlier."

My smile turned grim as I held up my hand. "Yeah, Brutus said I was his biggest success," I said bitterly. "I was the only one whose body didn't reject the Sea-Prism Stone entirely."

Little Bastard gave me a long stare before he said, "If you were one of those experiments, how did you meet Red-Hair and become a Marine?"

My grin turned more genuine. "I escaped and was rescued by a group of pirates," I said brightly. "You boys are looking at the official Ship's Cat of the _Oro Jackson_!"

The Little Bastard snorted. "Yeah, like you expect me to believe you were on the Pirate King's ship," he scoffed.

"Sure I was." I jerked my thumb at Shanks and added, "How do you think I met this guy?"

* * *

Shanks gave the surprised pirates a sly smile and took a sip of his ale. "Told ya she was my Kitten," he said lightly.

Shanks didn't bother to try and hide his amusement at the younger man gaped at him. Shanks had to admit that he had just said something very shocking, but that didn't make it any less true. While she might have been the unofficial Vice-Captain of his ship, Elle really had been the Ship's Cat on the _Oro Jackson._ All of the Roger Pirates had adored Elle when they found her. They had refused to let Rayleigh talk them into giving her to someone else so she could grow up normal. From the moment that little scared kitten had run into Captain Roger until Shanks had given her to Garp, Elle had been a pirate. So despite only being about twenty-six, Elle was a pirate for the majority of her life. And Shanks knew that this rookie could read the truth of it in his eyes.

Kid sat back in his chair with a whispered, "Well, damn." After another long moment, he said, "What's this got to do with us?"

Elle raised her eyebrow and her finger started to lightly trace circles on Shanks' thigh. "What d'ya mean?" she asked, casually taking a sip from Shanks' mug. "Are you fishing around to see if I'll ask ya to help us?"

"Wha—No! We—"

Elle cut off the sputtering pirate and said, "Actually, we could use your help."

"What?" Shanks and the younger pirate snapped at the same time? Then the rookie added, "If we're gonna be helping you, you gotta do something for us, too."

Elle shrugged. "Fine by me," she said, standing up. "The boys are beat, so I'm going to put them to bed. But I'll be right back, and we can discuss what you want." Elle started to walk over to the twins before she paused and turned to Shanks. "You can talk to him about it, to see the Little Bastard's request is something you wanna do."

With her cheeks bright red, Elle leaned down and kissed Shanks' cheek. Before he could do anything, Elle had rushed over and scooped up her children, one under each arm. Elle ran upstairs, leaving Shanks sitting at the table and wondering what the hell had just happened. Shanks glanced at the masked pirate, but he just gave Shanks a small shrug. Well, at least he wasn't the only one confused. Shanks let out a heavy sigh and drained his mug. How could being around one woman make him feel like a teenager and an old man simultaneously?

Shanks looked at the rookie in front of him and let out another sigh. "So, what's your condition?" Shanks asked finally. "Does it have to do with the real reason you came to find me?"

The kid smirked and said, "You're smarter than you look, old man."

Little shit. Shanks gave the brat a light smile, even as his irritation rose. "It's not hard to figure out, since you're still here even after being threatened by Elle," he said, sharper than he intended.

The kid laughed. "Well, you're right. I came after you because I'm lookin' for someone." The brat's face suddenly went serious. "I heard rumors that the Hell Cat had recently rejoined your crew. I want to find him."

The irony of the situation in front of Shanks was too much and he couldn't stop his chuckle. "Promise me one thing, kid," Shanks said to the scowling rookie pirate. "If I tell you where the Hell Cat is, promise that you will still help Elle. No matter what I am about to say."

"Deal."

Seeing the excitement and anticipation in the kid's eyes almost made Shanks feel sorry for what he was about to reveal. Almost. With a wide grin, Shanks pointed up. "The Hell Cat just went to put her kiddos to bed," he said joyfully.

Oh, the look on his face! Shanks burst into peels of side-splitting laughter, unable to sit still. Poor kid looked like all of his hopes and dreams were smashed right before his eyes.

* * *

 ** _A/N: I'm sorry, I know this is kind of short. I just felt this was a good spot to stop. The next chapter will involve disheartened pirates, shopping, ecchi-moments, and hot springs! So look forward to that! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!_**

 ** _~Shini_**


	17. Chapter 17

As I walked up the stairs with the twins under my arms, they both tried to protest that they weren't tired. Eli ruined it by letting out a loud yawn, which was quickly echoed by Sora (who shot a glare at his younger brother). I just grinned at them and walked down the hallway. Shanks had told me that there was an empty room across from the one we had used earlier, so that is where I headed. I nudged the door open with my foot, revealing a room that was the mirror image of the one Shanks and I had claimed. On the chair by the door were the twins' bags, so he must have told them that this would be their room.

I set them down and started to pull out their pajamas, but both boys grabbed their bags from me. They protested that they were old enough to get themselves ready for bed. I held my hands up with a small grin and crouched down. I rocked back on my heels and propped my head up in my hands. Sora pulled out a dark blue yukata, about the same size as my own, and started to put it on. Eli followed quickly with his identical black yukata, but was having a little trouble with the ties. Sora helped his brother before I could, making me smile. Once the twins had brushed their teeth, they crawled into the bed. I stood up and walked over to the bed. I lightly kissed each of their foreheads and told them that I would be right across the hall. Sora gave me a disapproving stare, but said nothing. I winked at him and brushed a stray strand of crimson off of Eli's cheek. I bid them a goodnight and stepped into the hallway, turning off the light before shutting the door.

Despite trying to protest that they weren't ready to go to sleep, the boys were exhausted. Rightfully so, as they had had a long day. Not only had they used their Devil Fruit power to help me threaten the Little Bastard, but they had then gone on a scouting mission. Normally, that was enough to wear them down, but they had also helped with the stew. While it had been cooking, the boys would pause time in fifteen-minute increments. They always did that when I was cooking stew and didn't have several hours for it to cook thoroughly. So what had been about eleven hours for me was closer to fourteen for the twins.

As I descended the stairs, I could hear Shanks laughing like crazy. On light feet, I walked back into the kitchen to see what the fuss was about. Shanks was laughing so hard he had tears running down his face and slamming his fist down on the table as he fought to get a breath. I looked across from him to try and see what the crazy Emperor was laughing at. The Little Bastard sat slumped in his chair, looking so distraught that I could basically see the depression cloud hanging over his head. His face was so forlorn that I felt bad for the kid, even as my mouth blurted out what I was thinking.

"Damn, who died?" Everyone glanced at me as Shanks' laughter died down. The man took one look at me, turned back to Little Bastard, and started laughing again. I scowled and walked behind the giggling pirate. I wrapped one arm around his neck and covered his mouth with my other hand. "Shut _up,_ Shanks! Can't ya see the kid here's upset?"

Shanks reached up and tightly grasped my wrist, but didn't pull my hand away, thankfully leaving his laughter muffled. His dark eyes sparkled mischeviously at me and his thumb started to trace circles on the back of my Little Bastard blinked several times, almost like he was waking up from a dream, and looked at me. Standing up abruptly enough to make me jump, he leaned forward and slammed his hand down on the table. "Tell me something," he snapped, a raw tone to his voice. "Are you the Hell Cat?"

I gave him a wary look and cautiously asked, "Why?"

"Because I need to know!"

I scowled at Little Bastard when he shouted at me, but Mask-Chan quickly said, "My Captain is a big fan of the Hell Cat and got excited when he heard that the Hell Cat had been recently spotted back with the Red-Hair Pirates." The blond man shrugged. "We just want to find him."

The Little Bastard's scowl turned into a smug grin. "He had one of the highest first bounties ever placed on a pirate rookie," he said excitedly. "And he wasn't much older than me! I was disappointed when I heard he'd been captured by the Marines, but I vowed to get stronger than him. So of course when I heard rumors that he was spotted again, I just had to find him so that I could challenge him!"

My heart flipped in my chest and I had to fight to keep my grin off of my face. "So, let me get this straight," I said calmly. "You're saying that the Hell Cat inspired you and Mask-Chan to become pirates, yah?"

The Little Bastard shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

I let out a whoop of joy and spun around Shanks. I sat on his lap and cupped his cheeks with a loud _smack!_ "Ha!" I crowed with a wide grin. "You're not the only one to have inspired two of the Supernovas to become pirates!"

Shanks chuckled and placed his hand on my hip. "I guess you're right, Kitten," he said smoothly, but I interrupted before he could say more.

"Are you going to call me 'Sempai', now?" I asked, turning around to face the other pirates while staying seated on Shanks' lap.

"Wait!" he shouted at me, his eyes wide and almost panicked. "You can't really be the Hell Cat! You're a Marine!"

"I became a Marine ten years ago, when Garp the Fist basically gained custody of me," I said simply. "Which is—"

"—Right when the Hell Cat was 'captured'," Mask-Chan murmured, slowly shifting away from his captain.

Little Bastard crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Aren't you a little too ol—ouch! Shit! That _hurt_!"

The Little Bastard glared at me with tears staining the corners of his eyes, rubbing the red, mug-shaped spot on his forehead. Mask-Chan quietly set my mug back on the table as I snapped, "I'm only twenty-six, thank you. I am _not_ old! 'Sides, I turned sixteen the day my bounty was released."

The Little Bastard's frown deepened. "So you had your kids when you were—what?—sixteen, seventeen?" he asked skeptically.

"Yeah." I shrugged. "Why else do you think the Old Fart would take me in as his granddaughter instead of putting me in Impel Down?"

The Little Bastard's dark eyes looked over my shoulder at Shanks. "You seduced and screwed around with your ward? Who was still a minor in every country in the world?" His lip twitched in a smirk. "Nice moves, man."

I felt my cheeks blaze as Shanks' hand tightened on my hip. He started to say something, but I cut him off. " _I_ seduced Shanks," I snapped. "It took me several tries, but I finally did it. And the World Government said the age of consent is sixteen; I looked it up when I became a Marine. So don't go praising something he never did."

Shanks snorted a laugh behind me as Little Bastard gave me a doubting look. "From what I remember, you looked like a guy back then," he said simply. Well, at least he believes that I was the Hell Cat now. His smirk turned snotty. "Are you sure lover-boy doesn't swing the other way?"

I opened my mouth to growl something back, but any words in my mind vanished with a small squeak. Shanks had placed his hand on my breast and pulled me tight against his chest with a soft squeeze. Shanks rested his head on my shoulder and gave the Little Bastard a smug grin. "Elle's clothing was baggy back then, but only because she refused to wear anything other than my clothing," he said congenially. "And she might not have been as well-endowed as she is now, but I found nothing—lacking."

* * *

A man can sense when another male has taken an interest in his female, especially when that interest is of a sexual nature. You can ask any man in the world and they will all agree. Shanks had felt that little instinct nudging his mind when that young pirate had first recognized Elle. But he was a sensible man and decided to ignore it. When they had met up again in the woods, that nudging had turned into prodding, but again, Shanks ignored it. The fact that he was able to full claim Elle as his not an hour later probably helped. When Elle had tried to attack the young man, Shanks had grimly assumed that the kid held a torch for the Cat-Woman. But any doubt that Shanks carried in his mind vanished when the shitty brat tried to drive a wedge between Shanks and Elle.

If a battle was what he wanted, then Shanks would give the brat a war.

Shanks' dark gaze met that of the younger man's as his hand slid up Elle's stomach. Shanks gently cupped her breast in his hand and pulled her flush against him. The little surprised noise that she made when he did so went straight to his head. And not the one on top of his neck. Shanks stifled his groan and placed his chin on Elle's shoulder. Shanks grinned at the other pirate, savoring his shocked expression. "Elle's clothing was baggy back then, but only because she refused to wear anything other than my clothing," Shanks crooned. "And she might not have been as well-endowed as she is now, but I found nothing—lacking."

Elle started to move, so shanks guessed that she was about to scold him. That would ruin the whole point of Shanks' display, so he needed to distract the woman. When her ass rubbed against him, Shanks was blessed with another wonderful idea. Holding the other man's gaze, Shanks slowly started to rub his finger over Elle's nipple. Shanks knew from personal experience that Elle did not wear very thick clothing, so she started to instantly react. Elle let out a soft sigh and Shanks felt her nipple stiffen under his finger. Out of the corner of his eye, Shanks noticed that Elle's face turned bright red. The other pirate only narrowed his eyes, so Shanks upped the ante.

Shanks started to softly kiss Elle's neck before giving it a gentle bite. He started rolling her hardened nipple between his fingers and was pleased to hear the Cat-Woman unable to hold back her breathy moans. The entire time Shanks kept his gaze firmly locked on the other pirate, silently daring the other man to look away. Elle arched her back, pressing her breast into his hand while simultaneously brushing against his hardening member. Shanks couldn't hold back his pleasured grunt and the other man's eyes sharpened. Elle was _his,_ and Shanks wasn't about to let some upstart, rookie, wannabe pirate take her away from him.

The savage thought was born from an intense jealousy the likes of which Shanks had never felt before. And the realization shocked Shanks. He had slept with Elle only on two occasions; it was the first time in a decade that Shanks had spent more than moments with her. Shanks had had plenty of sexual encounters in the past, he even had had a few lovers. But when their attention waned, or when those woman had gained the attention of another man, Shanks had never been jealous. He had simply asked the woman who they would rather be with. If it was him, great—he had a partner for the remainder of his time on that island. If it wasn't Shanks, he was never sad to let them go. But Shanks could never be so calm if the woman in question was Elle.

Shanks' sidetracked thoughts gave Elle the perfect opportunity. She quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away from her body. In the same smooth movement, Elle had Shanks locked in a tight headlock. "Enough of your Alpha Male bullshit!" she growled, squeezing tightly before abruptly letting go.

Elle stood up and glared at Shanks, but he could only give her an easy smile. Elle rolled her eyes with a put-upon sigh and sank down into the chair next to him. When Elle kicked up her legs and placed them across his lap, Shanks felt relief. No matter how she acted, Elle wasn't truly mad at him. Elle flung her arm over the back of her chair and Shanks started to gently rub his hand over her shin. Glancing back at the younger pirate, Shanks' sense of victory grew. The young man was keeping his gaze studiously placed somewhere just over Elle's shoulder. It might have just been alpha-male bullshit, but Shanks had won.

* * *

"So what was your condition for helping us?" I asked, breaking the harsh silence after Shanks and the Little Bastard's pissing contest. I mean, really. It was incredibly immature of Shanks to do that just to prove to the Little Bastard that he could. Especially when it was taking all of my willpower not to jump Shanks right there on the table.

 _Focus, Elle!_ I shook my head and tuned in to the rest of what Little Bastard was saying. "—lready 'helped' me." He scowled at Shanks. "And because of this dickhead, I'm stuck helping you despite you doing jack-shit to help me."

Seeing my blank look, Shanks chuckled and said, "Kid here just wanted help finding the Hell Cat. I made him promise to still help you before I told him that _you_ were the Hell Cat."

My heart did a little flutter at the reminder that I was basically this kid's hero. I grinned at the Little Bastard and said, "You never answered if you are going to call me 'Sempai', now." When he just glared at me, I shrugged. "I don't really mind either way. I'm just happy that my disciple has a higher bounty that Shanks'."

Shanks chuckled and lightly squeezed my knee. "But mine's still stronger," he said simply, looking at the Little Bastard out of the corner of his eye.

Little Bastard turned his glare on Shanks as I poked his stomach with my toe. "Stop picking fights," I chided.

Little Bastard looked incredulously at me. "You're not going to dispute that?" he snapped.

I shrugged again. "What can I say? I'm the one who trained Luffy for most of his life; insulting his power is akin to insulting myself," I explained.

"Your brother complex is showing, Kitten," Shanks murmured. I poked his stomach again. "Oof!Dammit, Kitten, that hurt."

Okay, maybe it was more of a kick than a poke. I made a face at Shanks and he quickly leaned forwards, grabbing my tongue before I could pull it back into my mouth. Shanks grinned triumphantly at me, so I glared at him and tried to bite his finger. The swift bastard let go before my teeth connected, so I ended up biting my own tongue. I cried out and glared at Shanks with tears in my eyes. Lisping slightly, I told Shanks that that had hurt. He suavely offered to kiss it better, which only returned my mind to the dirty track I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF OF, YOU DICKWAD!

"Oh, will you two just shut _up_!" Little Bastard snapped before I could respond to Shanks. "Enough with the flirting."

"We weren't flirting," Shanks and I both said.

Little Bastard glared at us before growling, "Yeah, and Killer's _my_ lover."

* * *

Shanks had just teased Elle, joked around with her like he always had. Admittedly, when he offered to kiss her bitten tongue, he _had_ had an ulterior motive. But he _wasn't_ flirting with Elle. And she obviously hadn't been flirting with him; she had said so herself. So Shanks was irritated when that bratty pirate rookie had sarcastically replied that some guy named Killer was his lover. One glance at Elle, though, showed she wasn't feeling the same way. She had covered her mouth with both hands and was looking at the pirate with stars in her eyes.

"Really?" she gushed merrily. "I'm so happy for you two! You make such a cute couple!"

The masked pirate put his head in his hand, almost like he was facepalm—oh, he must be Killer. Shanks shrugged in agreement with Elle. The two men would make a cute couple. The captain obviously didn't agree, as his face turned red and he shouted, "I was being sarcastic, dumbass!"

"I know that," Elle snapped, her face moving smoothly from a happy grin to an irritated scowl. But the disappointment Shanks saw in her eyes meant that he now had new material to tease her with. "Mask-Chan's too good for you anyway."

"Hey—!" the pirate started to respond before shaking his head. He squeezed the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh through his pointy nose. "Y'know what? Whatever," he said, defeat heavy in his tone. The pirate opened his eyes and gave Shanks and Elle a pointed stare. "There's no way the way you two just acted couldn't be considered as flirting."

"We've always been like this," Elle snapped, with Shanks nodding in confirmation.

The pirate's face stayed locked in a deadpan. "Then you two have always flirted."

"We—," Shanks started to say when he caught sight of Elle's face.

Her full lips were pursed tightly and her amber gaze was harshly glaring at the younger pirate, but there was no denial on her face. Shanks started to think back on their relationship, how they had always acted around each other. When they were growing up, the two had always joked with and teased each other. But now that he was thinking back on it, he noticed that their relationship had changed drastically a few months before Elle had turned fifteen. Elle had never been big on casual contact, but she had suddenly started touching Shanks a lot. Nothing indecent, just more and more frequent hugs, casual kisses on his cheek, sitting on his lap...

Shanks stared at Elle as her voice echoed in his head. _I seduced Shanks..._ Shanks had figured she had been talking about _that_ night, but what if she hadn't been? Had Elle tried for years to get him to notice her as a woman and not a young girl? Shanks desperately wanted to ask her, but one glance at the other men in the room froze his tongue. Yes, Shanks wanted to find out if Elle really had spent years seducing him, but this was not the time. Shanks settled back in his chair, giving the younger pirate a cool stare.

The other man nodded and said, "Good. Not that we've gotten that out of the way, what's the plan?"

"Tonight, we sleep. Tomorrow, we go to the hot springs," Elle stated, as if that cleared everything up.

The rookie just gave Elle and incredulous stare. "I thought you were here for that Brutus-dude," he said, his non-brows drawing together in a scowl.

Elle stared back at the pirate, her brow raised as if she were mentally questioning how smart the kid was. "I am," she stated. "The boys told me that you guys found his lab, but that you might have been followed home. I am going to assume that they have us under surveillance right now, or at the very least tomorrow. So we are going to act like we only came here for a family vacation. Tomorrow night I'll go check out the lab to see if I can find a way in."

The pirate rookie snorted a small laugh. "Good luck sneaking in," he stated. "The place's like a fortress."

"And you're looking at the sneakiest Marine in over thirty years," Elle retorted, holding two fingers up in a V. When the brat just continued to give her a skeptical look, Elle snapped, "Fine, if I can't break in, I give you permission to say, 'I told you so!'. Fair?"

The other pirate grinned and said. "Deal. Now, you guys brought swimsuits, right?"

* * *

I let out a low groan and flopped down face-first on the bed. I heard Shanks chuckle behind me as he shut the door, but it sounded tired. As it should. We had just spent the past two hours negotiating with that stingy Supernova.

When he had asked if we had swimsuits, Shanks and I had just asked what the hell he was talking about. We were going to the hot springs, not some swimming pool. Mask-Chan had explained that these hot springs had a special pool. Apparently it was a special pool that even Devil Fruit users could float in it. Something about a high salinity making it impossible to sink to the bottom. A cool fact, but Shanks and I still didn't understand what that had to do with swimsuits. So Mask-Chan had gone on to explain that it used to be a normal, albeit unisex, hot spring. But women kept getting harassed and scandalized by the men, so they stopped going. In an effort to make women feel more comfortable, the owners of the hot springs had implemented a mandatory swimsuit rule.

So that had explained why we needed swimsuits, but had just brought up a different issue. The twins and I didn't even own swimsuits. We hadn't ever needed them, as I've never been able to swim and the boys hadn't been able to for the majority of their lives. No problem, the Little Bastard had said. There's a swimsuit shop in town we could stop at on our way. Problem solved, right? Wrong. Shanks had spent most of the money Ben had given him on lunch, with just enough left over to cover our entrance fees to the springs. I, on the other hand, had no money. The Old Fart has never trusted me with any large amount of Berries after one small shopping trip. I was the new owner of several excellent blades, my boys had brand new toys, and I had even bought my brothers a bunch of their favorite sweets. It's not my fault the total had come to more than what my bounty had been. The shop keepers had obviously swindled me, but I was still just a child, so how could I have known better?

Yeah, Garp didn't buy my bullshit either. So I was stuck with a small monthly allowance. As the Marines covered all of my room and board (on the rare occasions I wasn't living with Dadan) and the Old Fart made sure the boys and I had clothing and shoes, it was not normally an issue. Until events like this happened. I spent all of the money I had on that inn, and Shanks spent his on lunch... The other Red-Hair Pirates couldn't even bring us some more money without violating the terms I set with Kaido, so we were forced to accept help from some rookie pirate who hadn't been on the Grand Line for a year.

"Fuck no. Buy your own shit."

Okay, maybe we had to beg, plead, and eventually barter for him to help us out. After two long hours, I finally managed to make that damn Little Bastard buy swimsuits for us. But on a few conditions. I was to reimburse him with 58% interest (knocked down from 90%), which wouldn't be a problem. The Old Fart might have taken away my direct access to money, but I still managed to spend as much as I could whenever I could (being a relatively infamous Marine means I can buy a lot—and I mean a _lot—_ on credit). The second condition had me a little more worried. The Little Bastard would buy me a swimsuit, but _he_ had to choose it. Shanks and the Bastard had had another long, intense stare-off before coming to some silent agreement and Shanks agreeing without even asking me.

I heard fabric rustle and rolled over onto my side. I propped my head up and started to watch Shanks undress. The man paid me no heed as he undressed, humming and old pirate love ballad. I smiled wistfully, the song making my heart give a bittersweet twinge. He was humming the first song I had ever learned how to sing, the song he serenaded me with until I finally felt comfortable around Shanks, Buggy, and the rest of the Roger Pirates. I opened my mouth to sing along with his hums, but the words died in my throat as Shanks' pants fell to the floor.

The bastard had to be a voyeur, because he was at full mast. I found myself licking my lips and standing up. I still felt the after effects of his pissing contest earlier, and the sight of Shanks' beautiful, naked body just brought that lingering heat back to the surface. Obviously Shanks wouldn't mind if I helped myself to what he was so clearly offering. I knelt down in front of the grinning pirate and looked up at him. I gave Shanks a wicked grin before I stuck out my tongue. I watched his smile grow as Shanks slowly tangled his fingers in my hair. And I savored the moment when his grin disappeared with a small groan as I lightly licked the length of his member.

* * *

Shanks could feel Elle's eyes on him as he started to undress. Glancing over at the Cat-Woman sprawled on the bed sent a lick of fire down his chest and straight to his cock. Her eyes were a bright yellow and locked on his chest. Shanks could see that Elle was unabashedly staring at him, lightly licking her lips. A light blush spread across her defined cheekbones and Shanks noticed her breathing speed up. Shanks had to fight to keep a straight face when he decided to show the enraptured woman just how much she was affecting him.

The soft sound of Shanks' pants hitting the floor was drowned out by the sound of Elle inhaling sharply through her nose. Her pupils dilated until her eyes were almost entirely black, her iris only a thin golden band. Elle greedily licked her lips and slowly stood. She sauntered over to Shanks, allowing the pirate to full take in her sensual walk. Elle lightly ran her fingers over his skin as she crouched down in front of him. Shanks felt his smile grow as the Cat-Woman gave him a sultry grin before slowly sticking her tongue out. Shanks reached out and lightly grabbed her soft hair, greatly anticipating what Elle was about to do.

Shanks couldn't hold back his groan as he felt the silky heat of her tongue caress his cock. Shanks tightened his hold on her hair and looked down at Elle. She gave him another carnal smile and looked straight at Shanks as she lightly swirled her tongue around the head of his cock. Shanks let out a small grunt and his hips moved towards her mouth of their own accord. Elle let out a throaty chuckle as she reached up and softly wrapped her hand around his member. Elle finally broke eye-contact with Shanks and looked down at what she was doing. Elle licked her lips once, twice before she slowly took him into her mouth.

Shanks let out another low groan and found himself leaning back against the door. Shanks watched through half-lidded eyes as more and more of his cock slowly entered Elle's mouth. The slick heat of her mouth was amazing and it was taking all of Shanks' willpower not to thrust his hips towards her. Elle gently wrapped her free arm around his thigh, the other hand softly stroking him before his cock entered her mouth. When Elle finally stopped lowering her head, her hand was almost placed flat against Shanks' stomach. Abruptly those amber eyes looked up at him and Elle let out a small hum. Shanks almost lost himself at the sensation of her throat vibrating around him, his hips jerking towards Elle as his hand pulled her towards him.

Shanks bit his lip to try and quiet his deep moan. He was breathing heavily and trying desperately to keep himself still. Shanks opened his eyes, unaware that he had closed them. Elle was still staring up at him. Shanks could see equal parts of amusement and lust in her amber gaze and had to take a deep breath. Elle's fingers started to gently stroke the back of his thigh as she slowly started to pull back from him. The lewd sight of his flesh leaving her mouth almost proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

With a rough growl, Shanks pulled her head back. Elle gasped loudly and looked at him questioningly, her tongue still hanging partway out of her mouth. Still holding her hair, Shanks urged Elle to her feet. Once she was standing, Shanks spun them around until Elle was the one pressed against the door. Shanks gave her a rough, deep kiss, his tongue reaching into her mouth to stroke where his cock had just been. Shanks released her hair and dragged his hand down her body. He paused at her breasts, caressing and teasing her nipple until he could feel it straining against the fabric of her shirts.

Shanks' hand didn't tarry for long and continued it's journey down. Shanks broke his kiss with Elle, moving instead to kiss down her jawline and neck. His hand made it to the waist band of her shorts and made quick work of the button. Elle's hands were trying to pull his head back up to kiss her, but Shanks ignored her request. He continued to kiss and nip at the sensitive skin of her neck as his hand pushed her shorts down. Elle wiggled slightly, making her breasts rub against his bare chest and bringing forth a groan from each of them. Elle's shorts fell to the ground with a whisper of sound that was almost drowned out by the little noises coming from Elle's throat.

As his hand tightly cupped her sex over her panties, Shanks found the most sensitive part of her throat. Elle let out a sharp moan as Shanks focused all of his bites and kisses on that one spot while he caressed her. The heel of his hand rubbed against her most sensitive flesh and his fingers lightly toyed with the growing wet spot. When he gently nudged her panties aside to continue his ministrations unhindered by the fabric, Elle cried out and dug her nails into his shoulder. Shanks slowly started to penetrate her folds, his palm still grinding against her sensitive clit. Elle was emitting soft moans into his ear, sighing his name as Shanks gently teased her.

Shanks bit her neck harder than before, making Elle gasp loudly before he suddenly dropped to his knees. Shanks hooked her leg over his shoulder and pulled her panties aside again. Shanks' tongue filling the spot vacated by his fingers. Elle tasted sweet as her hip pressed towards him and she let out a growling moan. Shanks moved his fingers and started to explore her depths once again while his tongue focused on her clit. Shanks let out his own groan when Elle cried out and tightly grabbed his hair. Shanks increased his speed and added another finger, twisting and moving them until he found her special spot. Elle was nearly sobbing out her moans, her entire body trembling as she urged Shanks eve closer to her. Shanks' teeth gently replaced his tongue, sending Elle crashing over the edge.

* * *

The room was spinning around me and my legs were shaking like a newborn fawn's. And still Shanks continued. His hair was soft between my fingers and I couldn't tell if I was pushing his mouth away fro me, or trying to pull it closer. His shoulder brushed against my thigh, urging it to rest over his shoulder. Now all of my weight was resting on Shanks, only making him closer to me. His fingers started moving again and I cried out, the noise turning into a small sob when his teeth lightly nipped my clitoris. There wasn't enough air and my nipples were rubbing harshly against my shirts.

Shanks suddenly pulled his mouth away and my hips jerked towards him even as I cried out. Shanks stood up, pressing his body tightly against mine, until I felt the heat of his member brush against my inner thigh. Before I could make another noise, Shanks slanted his mouth across mine. His tongue was tangy as it intertwined with mine, his groan filling my mouth as he rubbed his cock against my most sensitive areas. His hand tightly grabbed my thigh, pulling it up to hook over his hip. And then, before I even knew it, he was filling me.

With one sharp thrust, Shanks was almost sheathed entirely in me. On the second one, his pubic bone was grinding against my clit. I was moaning, crying at the overload of senses, and Shanks swallowed them all. He set a slow pace, letting me feel every inch of him as he pulled nearly completely out before slowly pushing back in until he pressed tightly against me. And still, Shanks kissed me, his tongue leading mine in a tango set to the same pace as his thrusts. My arms were curled around his neck, pulling him ever closer as my hips arched to meet his every move.

With a groan, Shanks broke our kiss and pressed his forehead against my shoulder. As I gasped for air around my moans and cries, Shanks' pace stuttered before speeding up. He was letting out soft grunts and his fingers were holding by hips with bruising intensity. I couldn't see, couldn't think. All I was, all I had been, boiled down to that moment. The feeling of Shanks filling me, the press of his lips against the skin of my throat. My body started to shake and I had to bite something to muffle my growing cries. Shanks let out a low moan, his lips sucking at the skin of my neck and his hips pressing hard against mine. A slow shudder passed over Shanks and I felt himself coming inside of me. I cried out, my own orgasm rushing over me as my body arched towards Shanks.

When my senses returned to me, I was naked and lying down on the bed. I pushed myself up on shaking arms, looking around the dark room for Shanks. I found him when he walked out of the bathroom, the skin around his shoulders and neck damp. He saw me and smiled sweetly. Shanks walked over and gently kissed my forehead before asking if there was anything I needed. I shook my head, but stood up at the insistence of my bladder. I rummaged around in my bag for a moment before walking into the bathroom.

When I came out wearing my lavender Yukata, Shanks frowned at me from the bed. "Why'd you put that on?" he asked, voice slightly petulant.

I gave him a crooked grin before crawling into bed beside the pirate. "Like you're one to talk," I teased, pointing towards the boxers he had on. "But I got dressed because my boys have a habit of crawling into bed with me. They don't sleep well in strange places, and it's not very often we sleep this far apart from each other."

Shanks nodded. "I see. You don't want the walking in on their parents naked," he said sagely.

I let out a tired giggle before moving closer to him. I placed my head on his chest and crossed my arm over his stomach. I felt something brush against the top of my head as Shanks' arm curled around me. "Good night, Shanks," I murmured before slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Okay, I didn't get to the shopping in this post. But it's long and smutty, so I hope that makes up for it! As you can see, I've decided that both Shanks and Kid are massive perverts, and I will totally play that up in the story. Also, in case it wasn't made clear, Kid is attracted to Elle. I am also going to elaborate on that in future chapters, so look forwards to that!**_

 _ **As it is, I hope you guys enjoyed the newest chapter! Reviews are always appreciated and I get a little heart flutter every time I get an email telling me someone favorited this story, so keep 'em coming! (^_^)b**_

 _ **~Shini**_

 _ **P.S.: This is the longest chapter I've written for ASN, so I hope you're happy!**_

 _ **~~Shini**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Yay! New POV in this chapter! I'm excited about it, but I couldn't post it in it's intended form. In my Word doc of this chapter, certain words are crossed out where the narrator changed his mind, but I couldn't get it to show up here. So I am sad about that, but I found a way to sort of convey it. So every word (like this) is just an added thought while every word ((like this)) should be crossed out, if that makes any sense? I hope so. Anyway! I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**_

* * *

Eustass Kid was in what one might call a 'situation' and he wasn't (quite) sure how to proceed. So he crossed his arms over his bare chest and propped his ankle on his knee. He (studiously) avoided making eye-contact with the older pirate next to him and instead chose to stare at the crimson curtain in front of him. As he watched the curtain gently sway and move from the occupant of the small room it hid, Kid thought about the events of the past two days that had led up to this (strange) predicament.

Hearing about the Hell Cat (supposedly) making his (her) first appearance in a decade had been mere chance. Kid and his crew had decided to stop by an island well known for being a pirate safe haven. It had been one of the first islands the Kid Pirates had visited since entering the New World and was the perfect spot to pick up any extra supplies the group needed. While his crew had gathered everything, Kid and Killer had sat down in the local tavern for a quick drink (to get rip-roaring drunk). The owner had been cleaning up a window that had been broken in a fight the day before. Nothing unusual for a pirate town, to be sure, especially in the New World. Only the strong could survive in those harsh waters, so fights were often brutal. The owner should be counting his lucky stars that the window was the only thing he had lost.

Kid commented as much to his masked First Mate, loud enough for the entire bar to hear. The owner had paused in his sweeping and turned his glare on Kid. The owner then returned to his sweeping, muttering about brats being a pain in his ass. Kid had started to snicker (laughed openly and loudly) when the owner continued on about how pirates should stay in Impel Down when they were put there. It wasn't quite one month after the Straw Hat had broken out of the notorious prison, and brought several (infamous) criminals with him. Why, that Hell Cat had already tried to rejoin the Red-Hair Pirates, at the expense of his poor window.

The old man's words had caught Kid's attention (again) and he had slammed his mug down on the bar (it shattered). He had sauntered over to the man and threatened asked the man to explain. Not much else to the story: someone had appeared, thrown Red-Hair Shanks through the window, and then claimed to be the Hell Cat. The old man hadn't been convinced, but the crew was and had departed that morning with the supposed Hell Cat. Kid had felt excitement start to swell in his gut (he was tempted to kiss the old man out of gratitude).

When Kid had learned that the Hell Cat had been taken into Marine custody (years ago) and was more than likely dumped in Impel Down, he had been (utterly) heartbroken. Kid had vowed to become the strongest pirate in the world—to find the One Piece and become the King of the Pirates—so that he could free the Hell Cat and look him in the eye, proud of his accomplishments. It had never occurred to Kid that the Hell Cat had been one of the inmates who had escaped with Straw Hat. Kid hadn't accomplished his goal (yet) but that didn't matter (it did, but not enough to stop him). He would not let this chance slip through his fingers.

After some (painful) cajoling of the old man, Kid and Killer had finally found out the direction in which the Red-Hair Pirates had left. As the Log Pose had only detected one island in that direction, it had been (too) easy to find out where they had gone. The group had made excellent time and had arrived not too long after Red-Hair. Once they made landfall it had only been a matter of following the whispers to discern where Red-Hair and (hopefully) the Hell Cat were. Kid had felt disappointment rise in his chest when he had stumbled across what appeared to be a family lunch (his own lunch almost made a repeat appearance). Just Red-Hair, some wench (who was more attractive than Kid wanted to admit), and what appeared to be two brats.

Except those brats seemed awfully familiar.

And that wench was glaring intensely at him, murder in her familiar yellow eyes (holy shit, is that the Benineko?!).

Eating a calm lunch with one of the Four Emperors was not where Kid had expected to once again see the ((beautiful)) notorious Rear Admiral. Looking at those brats of her's, though, and it was obvious why she was with Red-Hair. Despite one having his mother's hair, both were the spitting image of the Emperor. Kid felt stupid for not having noticed their parentage when he had first met them on the Sabaody Archipelago (but, then again, on that day Kid had been rather distracted). That had been an eventful (exhausting) day. Not only had Kid met the other two Supernovas worth over 300 million (and been mildly impressed by them both), he had seen the legendary Dark King Rayleigh as well. But that hadn't been nearly as exciting (terrifying) as meeting the Rear Admiral known as the Benineko.

When he fist laid his eyes on her, she had just thrown open the doors to the auction house and sauntered in as if she owned the building. The first thing Kid had noticed about the woman were her legs. They were long and pale, the four-inch high heeled sandals she was wearing only accentuating their length. Kid's eyes had traveled higher up her legs, noting her incredible ((very short)) black shorts. Next he noticed her bare stomach, the smooth skin marred only slightly by three pale parallel lines that crossed from just under her right ribs to right over her left hip. (Kid would never admit just how much he wanted to trace those lines with his mouth.) Her waist was thin and womanly, accentuated by her shirt (if you could call the scraps of material a shirt). The black fabric of her shirt hugged her (incredible) breasts like a bikini, with thin fabric coming from the bottom (which covered her back while leaving her stomach bare).

When Kid had finally (barely) managed to pull his gaze away from her (delicious) cleavage and look at her face, he was (again) surprised. Her face looked deceitfully youthful, her full lips curled in a half-smile that revealed twin, small fangs. Her eyes were a (startling) yellow color, her pupils slit down the middle (like a cat's). And one glance at her head revealed that his feline comparison was right on the mark. Her hair was whiter than snow and fell to her elbows in soft waves despite being tied in twin tails on top of her head behind her ears. And when he says ears, Kid means the two triangular cat ears that twitched and swiveled at every small sound. In shock, Kid had glanced down to see that she had a matching tail (how the hell had he missed that while admiring her wonderful legs?). He had almost (completely) missed the two young boys standing just behind her (lovely) legs.

Kid had been aware of Killer whispering into his ear that this (beautiful) Cat-Woman was the Benineko, but the damage was done. Kid was more than just attracted to the female Marine (he was down-right enamored). He had even gone so far as to help her hide from Kizaru (though he has no idea why she was hiding from the Admiral in the first place). The look of the imposing ((fantastic)) woman had been burned into his mind. Kid had even enjoyed seeing her the few times she had been shown during the broadcast of Fire Fist Ace's death (fleeting as they were). But the woman Kid had found on that winter island was (drastically) different from the one he had met on Sabaody.

It had taken a moment for Kid to recognize her, and when he saw her once again (later that afternoon) he could pinpoint why it had been difficult. She had lost some (a lot) of weight, her cheeks more pronounced and with dark circles under her (arresting) eyes. Looking lower, Kid had been able to see that she had lost weight all over her body, not just in her face. The most noticeable area was her chest; her beasts were still large, but no where near what they had been when Kid had first seen the (stunning) woman. When Kid had commented on her weight loss, the Benineko had gotten angry at him (but that hadn't been the reaction that irritated him). No, it had been the surprise (clearly) etched upon Red-Hair's face. The ((fucker)) bastard hadn't even noticed just how small (and frail-looking) Elle had become.

And that had been the moment that Kid declared (silent) war on the older man.

So Kid had agreed to watch their brats, not because Red-Hair wanted to speak to Elle alone, not because of her (scary) threats, but because Kid had seen in her eyes that Elle wanted to be alone with Red-Hair too. Kid had taken her brats and explored the island, found the building she was looking for, and returned to the house (after ditching the annoying tail that they had picked up from the building). When they had returned to the (house in the) clearing, the brats had decided they wanted to play (they ran ahead and had ambushed Kid with snowballs). Everyone must had gotten carried away because the red-haired one (Eli, the other had called him) let out a (sharp) squeal.

Kid heard a window behind him crash open and had turned just in time to see something jump out of the house. Before Kid could even scream (let alone draw a weapon or use his abilities), his back was pinned to the snow. Elle sat on his chest and snarled down at him, her face more feline than he had ever seen it. Her hands were wrapped around his throat and he could feel her claws digging into his skin, his Devil Fruit powers (strangely) not working. In that moment, Kid had (fully) understood what Elle had meant when she said she never bluffed.

Staring up into those (wild) golden eyes, Kid knew that he was about to die (and that there was nothing he could do about it). So it is safe to say that Kid was (incredibly) relieved when it appeared that Elle was back to normal. And he found that he respected Red-Hair (a little) more than before when the older man managed to keep Elle from ripping out his throat (for the second time in five minutes). Even as Kid felt the (incriminating) wet spot on his chest slowly freeze in the (bitterly) cold air.

Yes, Kid did as Elle requested of him. And, yes, he did agree to help Elle out (on the condition that she help him find the Hell Cat). But that didn't stop his dreams from being crushed (once again) when he found out that the Hell Cat was (now) a (fucking) _Marine._ Kid was not happy (he was pissed) and it had (greatly) pleased him to be able to say no when Elle requested his financial help. But his resolve had weakened (it wasn't that strong to begin with) when those pretty red lips had pouted and begged for his help. But Kid had his pride (er, well, what was left of it), so he agreed (but only on the condition that _he_ got to choose her new swimsuit). If he was going to pay for it, he damn well better like what she looked like in it.

And that was how Kid found himself to be sitting in a little shop right next to the man who had been his enemy not twelve hours earlier. Kid and formed a (tentative) truce with Red-Hair Shanks the previous night. Both of them had realized that Elle would likely choose a mom (un-sexy) swimsuit if left to her own devices. And both of them had realized that they couldn't let that (tragedy) happen. The two ((perverts)) pirates had silently come to the conclusion that Kid would pick out the sexiest swimsuit he could find (even if it meant listening to her grumble and moan like (an old lady) a concerned mother).

Kid heaved another sigh (his fourth in the past half hour) and opened his mouth so speak. Unfortunately, Red-Hair beat him to it and said in a (surprisingly teasing) voice, "Kitten, do you need some help in there?"

What sounded like a growl came from behind the curtain and Elle stuck her head out. She (outright) glared at the two men sitting before her and ((snarled)) snapped, "Is this some kind of joke? Where's the rest of it?"

Kid felt a wide ((smirk)) smile stretch across his face. "Nope, that's all, Senpai," he said, again calling her by the title she had (jokingly) requested.

Elle turned her glare on Kid and his heart did a little (big) flip in his chest. Her cheeks had a faint red tinge to them, showing that the Cat-Woman was pleased with her title without her actually saying anything about it. Her (beautiful) amber gaze jumped from the (half-grinning) Emperor to the (full-on smirking) Supernova and back several times before her (full) lips curled in disgust. "You're both pervs," she snapped before ((retreating behind)) closing the curtain.

Kid could hear Elle muttering (to herself) behind the curtain, but his attention was snagged by the pirate next to him. Red-Hair was giving Kid a strange (harsh) stare, his dark eyes narrowed and his lips pulled down in a frown. Kid couldn't tell (exactly) what the other male was thinking, but he could make a good guess. Kid's smirk widened into a grin and winked at the Emperor before he stood up. As Kid ((sauntered)) stalked over to where Killer was helping the twins find their swimsuits, he felt a (deep) sense of satisfaction burning in his chest. Last night, Red-Hair had accepted Kid's declaration of war (with his little voyeuristic show). But the real battle was only just beginning.

* * *

Shanks continued to frown after the rookie pirate long after he had joined his first mate and the boys. Last night the two had come to a silent agreement that only two men interested in the same woman could. Elle usually gravitated towards more conservative clothing, despite what she wore. She had been that way when she was little, wearing hand-me-down clothing from Shanks. The pirate had thought that had changed in the past decade, but when he had asked the twins about it, they had told him differently. Apparently Elle rarely shopped for her own clothing.

Garp bought the majority of her 'work' clothes—the clothing she wore in her official capacity as a Marine. The Vice-Admiral knew that when Elle actually took her job seriously she was usually fighting. So he bought her clothing that fit her snugly enough not to hinder her while still being loose enough for her to fight with ease. As for her leisure clothing? That was handled by some woman named Dadan. When Shanks had asked who Dadan was, Sora and Eli had merely said she was the den-mother of all of Garp's wards. And despite having been angry at Garp for giving her another brat to look after, Dadan had been secretly pleased to finally have a 'daughter'. Most of what Elle wore were clothing items Dadan bought for her to show off that Elle was indeed a woman.

When the rookie had first mentioned swimsuits, that conversation had popped into Shanks' mind. And when the younger pirate had agreed to pay for everything so long as he got to choose the swimsuit, Shanks knew that he had been thinking to same thing: if Elle were to chose her own, she would likely find the first one that covered up the most skin. So the two men had silently agreed to stop that travesty from occurring. But when the rookie had picked out a deep purple suit that was barely more than scraps of fabric tied together with string Shanks had felt a smidgen of doubt bloom in his mind.

Oh, for sure, Shanks knew that Elle would look incredible in the suit and that he would love it. But seeing Shanks' own excitement mirrored on the younger man's face was—troubling. It made Shanks want to find the most grandmotherly swimsuit in that damn shop and force Elle to wear it. Shanks would still buy the suit Elle was currently trying on, but he would leave that for a time in which there was only the two of them. Shanks stood up to go looking for the new swimsuit, but paused when Elle stuck her head out of the curtain again. She jerked her head, silently beckoning Shanks to come closer to her.

Shanks obliged the Cat-Woman, bending down so that his ear was close to Elle's full mouth. "My tattoos are entirely visible in this, Shanks," she murmured quietly. Her amber eyes shyly met Shanks' dark ones. "Is that okay?"

Shanks' smile became more genuine. "Of course it is, Kitten," he said smoothly. "There's no reason for you to hide them here."

Elle narrowed her eyes up at Shanks, almost like she could guess what he was thinking. Shanks smiled a bit wider and softly brushed a kiss against the corner of her mouth. His distraction worked, as Elle's face turned bright red and she disappeared back behind the curtain with a small squeak. Shanks felt eyes on him and turned to see the rookie staring hard. Shanks smirked at him, shoving his hand in his pocket as he leaned back against the wall. The kid didn't know it yet, but Elle was about to fully declare that her heart belonged to Shanks. After a—

Shanks jumped when Elle's head shot out of the curtains. Her face was pale and slightly sharper than before, her eyes narrowed as she scanned the shop. Her nostrils flared several times and he felt the soft caress of her _haki_ as she scanned the building. Shanks softly asked what was wrong and Elle flinched as if she hadn't noticed he was there. "I thought I—," she started to say, but stopped with a sharp shake of her head. "Never mind. It was nothing."

Shanks scanned her face, searching for any sign that she was lying to him. Elle gave him a small smile, her hand reaching out to lightly rub against his arm. Shanks' shoulders relaxed, knowing that she was alright. When she had been little, right after the Roger Pirates had found her, Elle had jumped at every shadow. She had been convinced that Brutus was following her, just waiting for the chance to snatch her up. Shanks figured that being on the same island as the scientist brought her old fears back to the surface and that was why she was so jumpy. Satisfied that nothing was amiss, Shanks returned to his earlier thoughts.

Any urge Shanks had to cover Elle up had vanished the moment she had mentioned her tattoos. Shanks knew Elle as well as he knew himself, so he instinctively knew the reasoning behind the locations of her tattoos. The jolly roger of her brothers was inked across her shoulders because Elle knew that they would always have her back. The jolly roger of the Roger Pirates was on the backside of her right ribs, covering up a small circular scar. Elle had been shot by a Marine when she had tried to rush to Captain Roger on the executioner's platform, so she had inked her father over the hurt. But it was her third tattoo that Shanks knew would be 'check'. It was his jolly roger, inked into the skin right above her heart. Because even when she had been just fifteen, Shanks had owned the entirety of Elle's heart.

Shanks winked at the rookie pirate as the curtains next to him slid open. Indeed, Shanks was looking forward to seeing the look on the brats face when he saw just how stunning Shanks' little Hell Cat truly was. And Shanks was down-right excited to see what kind of face the Supernova would make upon learning Elle's true heart.

* * *

I stood in front of the small locker, my arms crossed over my chest and foot tapping on the damp floor. I stared at my new swimsuit, trying to work up the courage to put it on. Perverts, all of them, but most especially the two pirate captains. Little Bastard had picked out the small swimsuit himself after sharing a long look with Shanks, who had nodded for the younger man to continue. When I had stepped into the dressing room with the scraps of fabric I had checked the size. The bottoms were the correct size, but the top...? The fuckers had grabbed one three sizes too small.

I had asked them for a larger size, but Little Bastard had just distracted me with pleasant words, buttering me up by calling me 'Senpai'. And, goddammit, I was weak. Its bad enough to be reduced to a giggling mess when Ace had called me 'Aneki' as opposed to his usual 'Aniki'. And God help me if the little shit had called me 'Nee-San'. I would have done anything for my brother, just as I would any time Luffy called me 'Nee-Tan' like he did when he was little and crying. But this Little Bastard of a rookie pirate had quickly figured out I was weak to 'Senpai'. Fucker. All three of them. Shit, I needed to learn how to tune out those words.

I let out a sigh that was more of a snarl and pulled my shirt over my head. Might as well get this over with. I held the shirt in my hand, my fingers rubbing the soft fabric. Shanks had been kind enough to let me wear a pair of his shorts along with this shirt. I felt like a teenager again and had practically floated down the stairs this morning. The Little Bastard had taken one look at me before barking out a curse. I had known that, in that instant, all of his doubts regarding my identity were erased. I lifted my middle finger at him before jumping down the remaining stairs, laughing at his curses.

I quickly folded the shirt and placed it in the locker, followed quickly by my pants and underclothes. I pulled my bikini bottoms on and adjusted the ties so as to keep it from riding up my ass. A peek over my shoulder proved that, thankfully, my ass crack was covered, but I wouldn't be bending down any time soon. I was working on the complicated ties of the top when I heard several women enter to locker room from the Women's Hot Springs. I was in the last bay of lockers, the bunch located closest to the Unisex Springs, so none of the women knew I was in there. As I stared in the mirror next to me and adjusted the strings of the bikini, the women started to talk.

"Did you hear, Akari?" one of the women said. "Master has given Reiniko-sama permission to pursue Red-Hair Shanks."

I hissed in a small breath to keep from crying out. I rubbed the red line on my collarbone where my finger had slipped at the mention of Shanks, scratching me. It stung, but wasn't bleeding, thankfully. Seeing that I wasn't injured, I returned to tying the many strings and silently listening to the two women talking.

"Hanako, hush!" the second woman hissed. "You know we're not allowed to talk about Master in front of outsiders!"

Oh, don't mind lil' ol' me.

"That doesn't matter," the first women said dismissively. "So long as we don't mention Master's name or identity, we're safe. I just feel bad for the woman with Red-Hair."

"And why is that?" Good question, Hanako-chan.

Akari-chan scoffed and I heard the sound of something wet slapping against the floor. "The woman is obviously in some sort of relationship with Red-Hair," she said before letting out a small grunt. "I mean, look at those kids."

"What makes you think—here, let me help you with that." Forget that! Keep talking about Shanks and the kids! "What makes you think those kids are Red-Hair's? That rookie pirate with them has red hair, too."

I shuddered at the thought of having the Little Bastard's children, but still paid close attention to the conversation. "His hair is more wine colored, Hanako. That kid's hair is exactly like Red-Hair's." I stifled a snort. Yeah, when the three of them were together, there was no doubt who the father of my children was. "And that's why we need to warn that woman. She needs to get those children and leave before Reiniko-sama arrives."

Okay, the time for eavesdropping was over. Using one of my claws, I severed six of the strings attached to the bikini, leaving only the four that tied behind my neck and back. I slammed the locker shut, sliding the key over my wrist. I threw my towel over my shoulder and walked towards the women. I stopped in the first bay of lockers and faced the semi-dressed old women. I raised an eye brow and started pulling my hair up into a tightly coiled bun.

"Tell me, Akari-san," I said with a small smirk, addressing the elderly women. "Why should I take my children and leave?"

Both women were staring at me wide-eyed, but the one on the right didn't look too surprised. She seemed the younger of the two, but was obviously the dominant force in their friendship. She threw her shoulders back, making her small frame more imposing. When she spoke, she used the voice of Akari. "Because Reniko-chan doesn't like to share," she said, voice strong despite the small tremble in her hands. "It would just be safer for you and the children to leave Red-Hair right now."

I couldn't help it; the wide grin I shot the two women could only have been described as feral. "Then it's a very good thing that I don't like to share either."

Akari-san opened her mouth to say something, but her friend elbowed her stomach. "We've already done more than we should've by warning you," Hanako-san said sharply. "It's not our fault if you don't heed it."

Akari-san sighed, but her face said she agreed with her friend. After a long moment, she seemed to finally notice my swimsuit. "Are you going to the Devil Fruit Spring?" she asked, blinking in surprise. "That's where all the perverts go, since it's unisex. You should really go to the Women's Spring; it's safer for a young girl like you."

My grin turned more bitter than feral. "Considering I'll drown in there, I think I'll take my chances with the perverts," I said with a small shrug. I gave each woman a hard stare before adding, "Thank you for the warnings. I'm not going to run, but at least I know to be on my toes now. So I appreciate it."

Without another word, I turned and walked out into the Devil Fruit Springs.

* * *

 _ **A/N: The first true ~battle~ of the story will be in the next chapter! Woo-Hoo! Anyway, I would love to hear what you guys thought about Kid's section. Do you think I did alright? Did I make his thoughts a little too OOC? I feel that he's not an honest guy, least of all with himself, so I tried to convey that in the chapter. I hope it came out all right! I would love to hear your thoughts on it!**_

 _ **I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!**_

 _ **Vis love,**_

 _ **~Shini**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N: This chapter also has a Kid POV section! So, just as a reminder, (things like this) are side thoughts of his while ((things like this)) mean it was crossed out and replaced.**_

* * *

Kid stepped out of the (real nice) warmth of the locker room into the (bitterly) cold air of the spring. He took a look around, ((stalling)) getting a feel for his surroundings. The pool in front of him was very large and (very) warm despite the fact that it was a (semi) open-air hot spring. Kid was standing under the roof that covered half of the pool and he could see snow covering the ground on the other half. All around this part of the springs were small cubicles (so that you wouldn't get your towel covered in snow). The area was was (incredibly) beautiful (if you discounted the dozen or so old men who glared disappointingly at Kid and his group). Kid glared (snarled) right back at the men and opened his mouth to say a scathing(ly witty) remark, but was cut off by the man next to him laughing (which was just plain rude).

Red-Hair clapped his hand on Kid's shoulder and said congenially, "Don't mind them, Kid. They're just disappointed that you're not pretty nor a lady."

Well, fuck you, too, Red-Hair (Kid could be very pretty). But Kid could see where the (rude) pirate was coming from. All of the men standing outside of the pool wore (far too) revealing swimsuits (Kid could see the outline of more dicks than he ever had in his entire life), and (from what he could see) those in the pool wore more of the same. So Kid knew what Red-Hair was saying and he also knew that the man was just a genuinely nice person (which made it so much harder for Kid to hate him). But Kid didn't want to like Red-Hair, so he shrugged off the friendly man's hand and growled at him not to address Kid so familiarly before ((stalking)) walking over to the pool.

All it took was one ((evil glare)) harsh look for the men sitting in the covered area of the pool to scurry (as far) away (as possible). With a snort of disgust, Kid placed his towel in one of the unclaimed cubicles and took a step into the pool. A shudder crawled (raced) up his spine and Kid could feel his strength start to fail him. Kid bit his lip and quickly sat down, managing to appear as though he meant to cause that splash (he hadn't). Kid placed his arms on the side of the pool and leaned back, all but melting into the wall. He tilted his head back (actually, the muscles in his neck went weak) and looked at the group behind him.

Killer carefully re-folded Kid's towel (which had just been a crumpled mass in the cubicle) before placing his own towel in the cubicle closest to Kid's. His blond first mate had his long hair tied up on his head and wore nothing but a pair of nondescript swim trunks (royal blue where Kid's were wine-colored) and his (usual) mask. When Killer stood up to enter the pool, he revealed three of the remaining four of their little party (Elle had insisted that the majority of Kid's crew stay behind at the house). Red-Hair and his children were still standing by the lockers, clad only in their own swim trunks. Red-Hair's were black and just as nondescript at Kid and Killer's. Sora and Eli had insisted (obstinately so) that they get matching suits. Sora's were as red as his brother's hair and covered in little white flowers, while Eli's were the exact opposite.

Red-Hair was crouched in front of the twins and helping them adjust their floaties. When he finished with Eli, he ruffled the kid's hair, drawing Kid's attention to the twins' red cheeks. When they had all arrived at the Hot Springs (after spending way too much money on six new swimsuits), Elle had breezed right up to the front desk ((giving Kid the chance to watch her lovely ass)). When she had requested admittance to the Devil Fruit spring, the woman behind the desk had given her a strange (pitying) glance before suggesting the Women's spring instead.

When Elle had just blinked (in apparent confusion) at the woman, she had elaborated, "The Devil Fruit spring is, ah, unisex, so most women prefer not to use it." When Elle had glanced down at her children, the woman added, "They seem young, so it should be okay for you to take them with you."

Elle opened her mouth to say something, but shut it with a (loud) snap when she caught sight of the stars in the twins' eyes. She had crouched down in front of them an cupped her face in her hands (and Kid knew that he wasn't the only male in the room to stare unabashedly as the action pushed her breasts together). Sora and Eli had noticed their mother's attention, so both boys tried (and failed miserably) to wipe the excited looks off their faces. Elle had tilted her head, given the twins a pretty smile—and then pinched their cheeks hard enough to stretch them away from their faces.

"You little perverts," she had hissed, ((absolute fury)) anger clear in her (still beautiful) yellow eyes. "You keep acting like this and I'll make the Old Man take you to the Men's spring."

Despite the fact that she still had their cheeks pinched tightly, both of the boys managed to look (utterly) terrified. "No!" they had shouted in unison, the word only slightly garbled. "Not again!"

Elle had nodded and released their cheeks with a loud _snap!_ "That's what I thought you'd say." Elle snorted and stood back up (either ignoring or not even noticing the sounds of disappointment coming from every male in the room). "We'll take those tickets, then," she said to the (wide-eyed) woman behind the counter.

The woman murmured a price and both Killer and Kid winced. It was costing them a small fortune to take care of the group today. As Killer (begrudgingly) gave the woman the required amount of Berries, Elle had gotten a strange look on her face. She asked how deep the pools went and had frowned (prettily) when the woman had answered 2 meters at the deepest point. Elle had then asked if there were any flotation devices that the twins could use. Both boys had protested that they were to old to wear pool floaties, but had shut up (almost comically) at the look their mother gave them. Elle had hissed that (like her) they were short for their age, so the pool was 1.5 times deeper than they were tall. And (with another ungodly sum of money) Killer had bought two inner tubes for the twins to wear around their waists.

And that brought Kid to the present, staring at one of the Four Emperors of the New World adjust children's floaties with his single hand.

Kid had heard rumors that Red-Hair Shanks only had one arm, but Kid had still been ((surprised)) shocked when he had removed his shirt in the locker room. Sitting in that pool, Kid didn't stop himself from looking (outright staring) at what remained of the Emperor's left arm. It ended about mid-bicep, the end a (relatively) cleanly cut, but covered in (jagged) scars almost up to his shoulder. It almost looked like something had eaten the man's arm, and the remainder of the limb had been further cut to try and smooth the wound. Rumor has it that the Emperor had lost his arm well over a decade ago (but no one knew the true tale as to _how_ ). If where he tended to keep his sword, Shanks had been left-handed before he lost the arm.

It was a (well) known fact that Red-Hair was a formidable swordsman. The simple reality of the man becoming not only one of the most well-known pirates in the world, but one of the four power-houses of the most dangerous seas in the world using his _non-dominant hand_ floored Kid. This nice, congenial man was dangerous enough to take on Kaido and not only walk away (literally) unscathed, but stop _an entire war_ just a day later. That in and of itself is an amazing feat. But it is not what made Kid start to re-think his wanting to take on the Emperor (not the man). What made Kid truly start to see how strong Shanks genuinely was was how Elle seemed to recognize him as the more powerful of the two.

Elle has quite the (unnerving) reputation. Where Shanks was known not to fight unless needed, the Benineko was the polar-opposite. As far as Kid knew, she has never been above the rank of a Navy Rear-Admiral. Kid knew that Elle has been a Marine for years (though he doesn't know exactly how long), but the first he ever heard of a Rear-Admiral Elle was six years ago. Somewhere on the Grand Line, a pirate had risen to notoriety and taken over an entire island. He ruled it under an iron fist, a despicable tyrant whose actions even made Kid seem merciful (which is saying something). This pirate had well over ten thousand pirates under his command and the World Government could no longer turn a blind eye.

From how he's heard it told, the Navy sent Elle to that island with nothing more than a spear. Reports say that when the tyrant had heard the Navy had sent a girl no older than twenty to take him down, he had laughed himself hoarse. Ten minutes after Elle had stepped foot on the island, she appeared on the dock crimson from head to toe and dragging the dismembered (but still alive) tyrant. From that moment on Elle had been known as the Benineko, the marine that was sent when survivors were not required. (Like with Red-Hair) Kid had never believed the rumors—until Elle had walked out of that forest last night. She had truly been a crimson cat. And that crazily psychopathic (but still eerily beautiful) crimson cat recognized the affable ((stupid)) man as her superior.

Red-Hair looked up from watching his children run towards the pool with a small ((smirk)) grin on his face. The doors to the woman's changing rooms opened (sadly not giving any male in the spring a peak inside) and a woman walked out. Her long (soft-looking) pale-blonde hair was coiled on top of her head with loose strands tucked behind her (human) ears. Her eyes were still light-colored, but appeared to be more brown than yellow. Her (incredible) body was clad in the white swimsuit Kid had picked out for Elle, but it looked different from the store. It looked like the strings that were meant to crisscross her chest were missing (disappointing, but did not take away for the overall effect the bikini had on her rockin' body). There were little bruises all over her skin (looking suspiciously like kiss—)

"Shit," Kid cursed upon recognizing the hickies all over Elle's body. He waved off Killer's questioning look (he'd been around the masked man long enough to know when he was getting looked at) and glanced back at the family behind him.

From across the area, Kid heard Elle (harshly) reprimand the twins for running. Both boys stopped (pouting something fierce) and continued their way to the pool walking (fast). But Kid didn't have the chance to continue to watch them. From across the pool, he heard a (disgusting) groan and several murmurs about—ahem—choice parts of Elle's body. Kid turned and ((glared)) glanced at the (lecherous) old men across from the pool. All of them were staring at Elle (most of them with blood dripping from their noses). It was one thing for Kid to ((ogle)) admire Elle, but seeing all of those old perverts do it sent shivers down his spine. So Kid made a snap decision. He told (a very confused) Killer to point across the pool before completely relaxing the muscles holding up his head.

With a loud _crack!,_ Kid's head collided with the edge of the spring. (Much) louder than was necessary, Kid said, "Ouch. That hurt."

Red-Hair shot Kid a glare that was (very much) at odds with his previous congenial behavior, but Elle just gave him a concerned look. Kid was unable to do much (do to being mostly submerged in water), so he just glanced over at Killer. Red-Hair got a confused look on his face (which would have been amusing under other circumstances) before comprehension dawned on his face. Elle opened her (pretty) mouth to say something, but was cut off by Red-Hair wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. Before Kid could look away, Red-Hair gave Elle a ((proprietary)) deep kiss.

Kid forced his head up, not wanting to continue to watch Elle melt into Red-Hair's kiss. Instead, he smirked at the perverts. "Family vacation," he said sweetly (venom dripping off of every word).

A smack and a chuckle made Kid look behind him again. Elle was walking quickly towards the pool, her cheeks a (beautiful) crimson shade. Shanks followed close behind her, a hand-print (the same color as his hair) on his chest. As Elle got closer, Kid could her her softly murmured curses (all very original). When she reached the edge of the pool, Elle snapped at Killer ( _Mask-Chan_ ) to help her in. Kid wasn't sure if he whether to be amused or upset at how fast his First-Mate moved to help her. Elle took Killer's hand, her body twisted her body to step down. That meant her back was to Kid. At first, he was (happily) distracted by the (luscious) ass in his face, when a spot of color caught his attention.

"Fuck!"

Kid's shout made Elle jump and fall into the pool, submerging completely from his sight. But the Cat-Woman was not the person he was looking at. No, Kid was glaring across the pool at the Emperor sitting down with his children. Red-Hair gave Kid an innocent smile that was laced with pure triumph. Oh, yes, the motherfucker (pun _not_ intended) knew about Elle's tattoos. And he had just been waiting for Kid to see them. Because if those fucking hickies all over her body weren't claim enough, having the Emperor's _fucking. Jolly Rodger._ inked into her back, right where her heart was, certainly screamed that Red-Hair owned her heart.

* * *

When Elle was startled by the rookie's abrupt shout and fell into the spring, Shanks felt a brief surge of panic. He started to swim across the spring to help her, but saw the masked fellow reach under the water for her. Seeing that Elle wasn't in any more danger of drowning, he sat back and smiled coyly at the rookie. The livid look on the younger man's face was worth having all of those perverted old geezers leering at Elle. Seeing all of the hickies Shanks had _accidentally_ left on Elle the day before was just icing on the cake. _And, check,_ Shanks thought slyly.

The masked man pulled Elle up and she whipped about to face the rookie as fast as her Devil Fruit would allow her to. "What the hell was that for?!" she managed to shout. "Ya 'bout gave me a heart attack!"

The rookie glared at Elle, but forced a smile to his face. "I was just surprised by your tattoo, that's all," he said, sounding like he was speaking through gritted teeth.

"Oh." Elle positioned herself better on the seat. "Was it Shanks' or Captain Rodger's that shocked you?"

His non-brows furrowed. "Rodger's? What the hell are you talking about?"

Elle gestured at the masked man, who then held out his arm. Elle flopped herself over it and Shanks could practically see the man blush, even through the mask. Elle had moved so that her back was facing the rookie. "See?" She weakly pointed over her shoulder. "I got Shanks' first, roughly eleven years ago, and Captain Rodger's right after the twins were born."

The rookie frowned even more. "Why those two?" he asked.

Elle turned her head and glanced at him. "Isn't it natural to get tattoos of the jolly rogers of the pirate crews one had joined?" she asked innocently.

"You—" the young man cut himself off with a shake of his head. "I don't even want to know." Elle grinned at him, making the kid abruptly return his gaze to her back, a slight pink tinge on his cheeks. "What about this one?"

A strangely blank look covered Elle's face, making Shanks want to go and hold her. It was only Sora's hand on his shoulder that stopped him. Shanks looked down at his son to see the boy shaking his head. "Mama doesn't want comfort right now," he whispered. Eli managed to paddle over and added, "Mama never does when Sabo-Nii is involved."

"Sabo-Nii?" Who was that? Instead of answering, the twins turned back to their mother.

"—er's jolly roger," Elle was saying.

Shanks could see the rookie trace over the letters and assumed that his new frown came from tracing the middle letter. "I can assume that the 'A' is for Ace and the 'L' is Straw Hat. But what about the 'S'?"

Shanks shrugged off his son's hand and started swimming over to Elle. The look that crossed her face—an equal mix of sorrow, regret, and pure pain—was too much. Her voice, however, stopped him in his tracks. "Sabo," Elle whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "The 'S' stands for Sabo."

Despite not seeing her face, the rookie had to have heard the despair in Elle's voice. The younger man lifted his hand from her back, but it hovered over her, as if it was unsure what to do. His fist squeezed shut before lowering under the water. A pitying look came over the younger man's face and he asked in a small voice, "How'd he die?"

Because even this moron knew that that amount of pain only came from the death of a loved one.

Shanks finished swimming over to Elle and carefully picked her up off of the masked man. He moved them around so that he was sitting down with Elle curled up in his lap. Shanks tucked her head under his chin and wrapped his arm tight around her. He murmured that she didn't have to answer if she didn't want to. Elle just wrapped her arms around Shanks' chest and took in a deep breath. When she spoke next, her voice was void of emotion.

"I met Sabo ten years ago, a few days after I first met Ace and Luffy. He was best friends with Ace, and the two of them ran around robbing and stealing to raise money for their pirate fund. Luffy had tried to follow Ace for months, but had always been deterred before he ever met Sabo. On the day he finally found them—and the location of their fund—he was kidnapped by a small-time group of pirates that Ace and Sabo had gotten on the wrong side of. For several hours, they beat him to try and learn where Ace and Sabo kept their money.

"Now, Luffy was only seven, mind you," Elle added, lifting her head to look at the rookie. "And he survived a near-constant beating from a large man. And that entire time, he didn't say a word. When he had been taken, Sabo and Ace instantly started moving their loot, just knowing Luffy would spill. That evening, Sabo stumbled upon them and realized that Luffy hadn't told the pirates where the money was. Sabo came running back and told Ace; the two of them then decided to go rescue Luffy.

"They probably could have handled the pirates by themselves, but I helped out a bit. I couldn't let anything happen to my Captain's son—," Elle's voice broke on the last two words and it took her a long moment and several tries before she could speak without tears coloring her words. "I threatened the captain of those pirates to leave my brothers alone, or they'd be dealing with me. I should have just killed him right then and there." Shanks didn't have to look at her face to see the snarl curling her lips.

Elle rubbed her face and continued, "That day was when I decided that Luffy was my brother, too. Not just Ace. A few days later, when the three of them swore their brotherhood over some saki I stole from Dadan for them, I claimed Sabo, too. They were my brothers. I helped them build their own house, I trained them to fight every day. We were nearly inseparable and cause so much havoc it was amazing. And then I went into labor with the twins. The bandits we lived with checked me into the hospital in town and I delivered them a few hours later.

"The night they were born, I called home to ask what my brothers wanted to name them. Luffy wanted to name one of them Elle, but Ace whacked him and said that was stupid." Her voice was wistful. "So Luffy chose the next best thing: Eli. I asked Ace and Sabo what they thought and that's when there was an awkward silence. Ace quickly answered Sora, because it meant sky and the sky meant freedom. And then the little shit dropped the bomb that Sabo had gone home.

"Sabo was a noble, you see. But he hated that life, so he ran away years before. But the day I went into the hospital, those fucking pirates threatened to kill Ace and Luffy if Sabo didn't return with his father. He hated that place, and a few months after he—after, I found out just how he was treated." Shanks felt her warm tears start to fall on his chest and he pulled Elle closer, his heart aching for her. "The third night he was gone, there was a wicked fire. The nobles had set their trash—both human and not—on fire in preparation for a visiting Celestial Dragon.

"That day, some mar—guards came and checked me out of the hospital. My first official job was to control any riff-raff while the Celestial Dragon was there. As we were standing on the dock, watching that huge ship pull into port, a little fishing vessel sailed. I instantly recognized the flag as belonging to Sabo. And I watched that flag flutter freely in the breeze as the Celestial Dragon fired at and sank that little fishing boat."

Elle was shaking and sobbing, holding tightly to Shanks. He could sense her sorrow, yes, but he also felt the burning fury coursing throughout her body. "How many did it take?" The rookie shot Shanks a confused look and Elle's sobs eased slightly. Shanks elaborated, "How many men did it take to hold you back from ripping that fucker limb from limb?"

The rookie gave Shanks a flabbergasted look, but Elle let out a small laugh. "I'd just given birth to two babies who weighed almost 4kg a piece, so I wasn't in top form," she said in a raw voice. "So it took them 18 men to hold me down."

"Shit," the rookie murmured, obviously looking surprised and impressed. Shaking his head, he added, "That explains your reaction on Sabaody."

Elle sat up straighter and wiped her face. The younger pirate looked at Shanks and Elle's confused faces and let out a harsh laugh. "She straight-up laughed when Straw Hat punched a Celestial Dragon in the face," he explained with a wide grin.

Shanks leaned back and looked down at Elle with a raised eyebrow. The Cat-Woman shrugged and said, "It's Luffy. What else would he do when someone shoots his friend—Fishman or not."

Shanks threw back his head and laughed. Oh, yeah, that sounded just like Luffy. And Elle's reaction just further amused him. Shanks wiped the mirthful tears from his face and looked at Elle. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she didn't look on the verge of tears. Her sharing that story with them explained why she had taken Ace's death so hard. It wasn't because he was Captain Rodger's beloved son. It wasn't even because Ace was her younger brother. It was because, for the second time, she had to stand back and watch one of her beloved baby brothers murdered. And because of her status as a Marine, there hadn't been a damn thing she could do about it.

But seeing the hard look in Elle's amber eyes, Shanks was absolutely certain of one thing.

There would not be a third time.

* * *

Shanks pressed a kiss to my temple before carefully setting me down on the seat. It was then that I realized where I had been sitting. I felt my cheeks heat, and it had nothing to do with the pleasantly hot water we were soaking in. I studiously avoided the gaze of the Little Bastard and focused on my children. Shanks was swimming back over to where they floated under the open sky. Both Sora and Eli shot me concerned looks, so I stuck my tongue out at them. They both burst out laughing before trying their best to swim over to Shanks, knowing that I was okay now.

As I watched the three of them play and annoy the creepy old men in the spring, I felt happy and content. Not like I had just relived one of the most painful days of my life. Oh, for sure, I could still feel the sharp aches in my heart where my brothers resided. But I knew both of them would not want me to continue to wallow around in my grief. I know for a fact that Ace would have kicked my ass for taking so long to get to this point. Sabo—well, I don't know about Sabo. _Our_ Sabo would have been right there with Ace, being polite while still giving me hell. But Dragon's Sabo? I don't even know if he knows that Ace is dead. Or if he even cares.

"You're frowning." I glanced over at LB and made a small noise of confusion. He lifted his arm, the effort it took showing clearly on his face, and lightly poked the skin between my eyebrows. "You were grinning just a second ago. So why are you frowning now?"

"Lay off, her, Captain," Mask-Chan said from behind me. "She was obviously thinking and most people frown when they think. Not that you would know," he added under his breath.

I started to chuckle, which turned into full-on laughter when LB glared and pointed at me. "Don't you laugh! Stop turning my own crew against me!" he shouted.

I reached up and lightly patted his cheek. "Oh, chill out, dude," I said sweetly. "You can keep Mask-Chan."

LB grabbed my arm as I heard Mask-Chan grumble about his nickname behind me. The Little Bastard pulled my hand down and looked at my wrist. He frowned before leaning down closer to me. "Where'd you get all these scars?" he asked abruptly. "I didn't see them on Sabaody."

I yanked my hand out of his grasp and looked down at my wrist. There was a five centimeter scar that ringed it, and a matching one on my left wrist. Glancing down at my chest, I could make out several more. I shrugged and leaned further down into the water. "Everyone has a part of their past they don't like to share," I answered evasively. "My past is written on my skin, just like everybody else. I just happen to be lucky enough to be able to hide it better than most."

LB glared/frowned at me and asked, "So you're saying that your scars are only visible when you're—like this?" I nodded. "Huh. Mind if I ask what they're from?"

I blinked at him a few times. I'd never been asked that question before. There were very few people who had seen me in my human-form. Shanks and Vice-Captain Rayleigh treated the majority of my scars when they were still just wounds, so they didn't need to ask to know what they were from. Of my brothers, the only time they had seen them was when we took a bath. Sabo had always been too polite to ask, Ace was too busy not looking at me, and Luffy was never coherent enough to notice. Vega Punk and his assistance weren't interested in the answer, so they never asked. Though I am sure that the good doctor had a very good suspicion on where some of them where from.

I pointed at my wrists and said, "I got these the first time I escaped. If you yank at shackles hard enough, long enough you can break enough bones to slip your hands free." I pointed at the matching scar ringing my neck. "This was my punishment for that. They made it so tight that I couldn't breath without pushing against the collar." I put my hand over the peach-sized scar over my left hip. "This was because I kept biting the assistants." I rubbed the four centimeter-long burn on my right collarbone. "And this was my i—I need to see Shanks. Shanks!"

Shanks looked over at me, Eli pulling on his cheek almost comically. Seeing the look on my face, Shanks quickly disengaged himself from our son and swam over to me. "Yes, my love?" he asked, a small smile on his face despite the worry in his dark gaze.

"I'm hot. Can you carry me over to the open side of the pool?" Shanks' gaze closed off, showing me that he knew I hadn't given my real reason for him coming over. Shanks murmured that of course, he would help me, and he turned his back to me. I managed to flop onto his back and wrap my arms around his neck. I rested my chin on his shoulder, my mouth right next to his ear, as he started to swim. I whispered, "The fence off to our right. What do you sense over there?"

Shanks' pace slowed almost imperceptibly as he used his _haki_ to investigate the fence. "Nothing, Kitten," he said in a puzzled tone. "Why?"

"You sense _nothing_ , correct?" Shanks glanced back at me, frowning. "Not even the bush you can clearly see that is behind the fence?"Shanks' shoulders tensed and I knew he understand what I was getting at. "That can only be Kiri-Chan. And that means they're watching us."

Shanks set me down on the seat and I felt the snow start to land on my face. His dark eyes moved towards the fence as he kissed my forehead. "That means we must step lightly, Kitten."

Exactly. It seems that our anonymity was gone. We had to start making a move, fast, before Brutus realized why we were there and decided to flee. Time was running out.

* * *

 ** _A/N: And that was chapter 19! I hope you all enjoyed it! Sorry it took a while for me to update, but I finally did! And I tried to make it a long chapter to thank you guys for being so patient!_**

 ** _Vis love~_**

 ** _Shini_**


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N: Chapter 20, woo-hoo! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I was hold this chapter hostage because I found a really cute picture of Shanks and Makino that I wanted my sister to re-draw with Elle, but she straight-up told me that she wasn't going to do it for a while. As the picture doesn't really have much to do with this story (but, rather, a one-shot that will come after), I decided to give in and post this chapter. So I appreciate your patience and, without further ado, here's chapter 20 of**_ **Akagami Shiro Neko _!_**

* * *

I grumbled to myself as I stepped into the warm air of the locker-room, my cheeks burning red. I shut the door behind me, not caring that the slam echoed through the empty room. Damn Little Bastard, making fun of me needing Shanks to haul me out of the spring. It's not like he was able to get out without Mask-Chan's help! Gah! And I _do not_ look like a drowned kitten when I am wet! Shanks' nickname for me has nothing to do with it. I glared at my reflection in the mirror. Not only is the Little Bastard an asshole, he was a perverted asshole. I snarled at the reflection of my swimsuit and turned to face my locker.

I am embarrassed by the noise I made upon almost tripping over another woman. I could feel the heat return to my cheeks when I noticed the small woman avoid meeting my gaze. Must have been muttering louder than I thought. I cleared my throat and rubbed the back of my neck as I politely asked the woman what the hell she wanted. In a very high voice, the woman said that a nice gentleman had bought me one of the yukatas from the gift shop attached to the Hot Springs. When she held up the dark fabric, I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and touching it.

It was very soft and well made, clearly straight from the Wano Kingdom. Very rare, due to the island being closed off, and thus very expensive. Despite my large collection of yukatas and kimonos, I only had one of each from the Wano Kingdom. My yukata was given to me by Captain Rodger years and years ago when we visited the Wano Kingdom. It was now much too small for me, but I still kept it in case I ever had a daughter. My Wano kimono was a different story. I had been traveling in the area and been unable to tolerate being on a ship any longer, so I made my men pull over to the first island we found. Long story short, became re-aquainted with the _daimyo_ and my boys sort-of adopted his son. As a farewell gift, Oden-San had given me the kimono.

Both of mine were of much higher quality than this yukata, but I could still tell that this one had cost a pretty penny. My first thought was that Shanks had bought it for me, but he knew that I like floral designs rather than these lines. Plus, he didn't have the money to buy it. So that left the Little Bastard and Mask-Chan, but with the way LB had been grumbling about all the berries he was spending today, I doubted it was him. I looked back at the small woman (she really was small, the top of her head barely reaching my shoulders. And I am not by any means tall) and asked who had bought it. She looked down, her dark hair falling forwards and covering her face.

"The gentleman said you would know if you thought about it."

Okay, so Shanks and the LB were definitely out. The face of one of the creeps who had been in the spring with us flashed in my mind. When Mask-Chan had swam over to play with Shanks and the boys, this perv had moved close to me and started talking about how nice I would look in the yukatas they had on display. Luckily the violent glares Shanks and Little Bastard gave him made him leave before any of his pervy nose-blood touched me, but still... Was he the one who bought this for me? A shiver rolled down my spine, but I took a closer look at the yukata. It really was pretty, and would look nice in my collection...

"So this is mine?" I asked slowly. "Like, to keep? Free of charge?"

"Mm," the woman said with a nod of her head.

"I gueeessss it wouldn't kill me to accept it. I mean, it is rude to not accept a gift..."

* * *

Kid leaned against the side of the building with his arms crossed over his chest. He drummed his fingers on his biceps (he wasn't cold, dammit!) as he ((glared at)) watched Red-Hair. His finger drumming became increasingly faster as he continued to observe Red-Hair smile (seductively) at the simpering (obnoxious) female in front of him.

She had light brown hair (like the color of shit) that fell just past her shoulders and pale green eyes with slit pupils that were both the same a different from Elle's (but, frankly, gave Kid the creeps). Her body reminded Kid of how Elle looked on Sabaody, all rounded curves, a slim waist, and legs for days. But where Elle dressed in skin-tight clothing that revealed little skin, this floozy wore little to no clothing. She had on what appeared to be a black bikini top that was several sizes too small and a pair of shorts (an apt name) that left most of her ass hanging out of the bottom. The (floozy) woman was dressed more for a day at the beach than the snowy island they were actually on.

As a healthy male, Kid very much appreciated her choice of attire. But after seeing the way Elle looked at Red-Hair, the way that she so obviously loves him... Kid grit his teeth and glared harder. Seeing this whore all but dry-hump Red-Hair's side and him do nothing about it made Kid want to tear them to shreds (after giving them a piece of his mind). Not only did Red-Hair keep smiling down at her, he even placed his hand on her bare waist. With a (very loud) snarl, Kid turned away from Red-Hair and found himself focused on the twins (mostly to see how they were handling seeing their father flirt with a woman who wasn't their mother). The anger simmering in their identical dark eyes Kid expected to see (no child of Elle's would react any differently). But the fear over powered the anger and made the blood leech out of their faces. _That_ was unexpected.

Kid crossed the few steps between him and the kids quickly (he wasn't worried. Why should he be worried? So he didn't run. Just walked. Really fast. Okay, maybe he jogged. But he didn't run! And he wasn't worried!) Kid glanced over at Red-Hair to see if he had noticed the kids' reaction, but looked away with a ((growl)) small noise of disgust. When Kid reached Sora and Eli, he quietly asked if everything was alright. Without looking at him, Sora (at least, he thought it was Sora...) asked if he had a Transponder Snail. Kid didn't, which he told the twins, but Killer does, but Killer had wondered off somewhere (probably to that ramen stand they passed on the way to the Hot Spring)...

"Hey, wait, where're ya goin'?!"

With a grunt (growl) of annoyance (worry), Kid followed the twins as they ran towards the reception counter. Kid opened his mouth to ask what they were doing there, as neither one of them were tall enough to see over the counter. Before a sound could escape his lips Eli (or, at least he thought it was Eli...The one with red hair) crouched down. Sora (white hair) sat on his brother's shoulders and Eli (red hair) stood back up. This made it possible for Sora (white hair) to rest his arms on the counter. He interrupted the receptionist's (annoying, but accurate) cooing of how cute he was to ask for a Transponder Snail. Looking put out, the woman glanced at Kid (seemingly for permission). Kid just shrugged and leaned against the counter, content to observe what the twins intended to do.

Sora (again, white hair) quickly dialed a number and his twin impenitently tapped his foot as the Snail rang once, twice, three times before an annoyed male voice answered with a harsh, "Hello?"

"Doffy-Jii-Chan!" both boys shouted before Sora (white) roughly kicked Eli's (red's) stomach. "Doffy-Jii-Chan, it's Sora!" (So Kid _was_ right about their names! Ah-ha!)

The Snail seemed to raise an eyebrow in amusement and gained a (rather creepy) smirk. "I know who you are, Boy," the Snail said. "Elle's children are the only ones who dare address me as such." The Snail abruptly frowned. "But I don't recognize the Transponder Snail you're calling from. Why not use your mothers?"

"Mama's busy right now, but that's not the point!" Sora said in a (panicky) strained voice. "You need to come quick! You're the only one who can stop her!"

The Snail's frown deepened and Kid felt his hackles rise. He didn't know exactly what they were talking about, but he assumed that it had to do with fighting Elle. And Kid liked to think that he would be able to at least stand on equal ground with the Benineko. (And, quite frankly, it stung that the twins didn't seem to think so.) (In fact, it more than stung that they believed that this old man stood a better chance at fighting Elle than Kid did).

"Aren't you guys with Red-Hair?" the Snail asked slowly. "The Emperor shoulder be more than a match for Elle, even if she goes feral."

"That's the thing, though!" Sora said, even as his brother harshly whispered his name. "The old man is the one who—Eli, shut up!" Sora snapped when his brother kept saying his name. "Shanks is the one who—"

Sora obviously caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye, as he stopped talking mid-sentence. Wondering what could cause the already pale boy to blanch even further, Kid turned to see what had caught his attention. At first, Kid's attention was caught by her clothing. She was wearing a black kimono with bright red stripes all along the right third of it, the obi-sash a matching crimson. The tight-fitting kimono accentuated her curves, yet made her seem more demure due to the lack of visible skin. The cloth ended a few inches above her feet, which were wearing only a pair of geta sandals. Her white-blonde hair was still coiled atop her head, though it appeared to be falling around her face. Kid almost liked Elle dressed like this than he had in her new swimsuit. Almost.

"Doffy-Jii-Chan!" Sora said in a high voice (distracting Kid from staring at Elle). "Some chick is flirting with the old man and Mama just saw him!"

Why did that fact make the twins so scared (looking closer, Kid could even see that both of them were trembling)? Anyone who had spent any amount of time around the two of them (Red-Hair and Elle) would realize that they only had eyes for each other. So despite the fact that Red-Hair didn't seem to be dissuading that woman (whore) from flirting with him shouldn't cause ((any)) this amount of fear in the boys. Kid looked back at Elle and felt all of the blood in his body go cold. Elle was ((stalking)) walking towards them, her movements all predator. And despite the fact that he could not see any trace of her (fluffy) tail or (pretty) cat ears, the look on her face could only be described as feline.

The pupils of her golden eyes were just thin, vertical slits down the center. And they were totally, utterly _cold._ Looking at the whole of her face (which, let's face it, Kid could never get tired of doing), one couldn't get a sense of what she was feeling. It was just—blank. But her eyes (those pretty, golden eyes) held so much rage and fury in them... Kid was suddenly ((extremely)) very glad that the twins had not asked him to stand between Elle and Red-Hair. Because, for the first time, Kid was able to truly see the woman who had stepped onto an island and left behind nothing but corpses.

For the first time, Kid came face-to-face with the Benineko.

* * *

Twenty minutes. It takes me twenty minutes to put on a kimono by myself.

Twenty.

Two-zero.

By myself.

As in, just me.

No help.

None.

And I have been standing here for the past—a glance at the clock—forty-five minutes while this bumbling pipsqueak of a woman lolly-gagged and just took her time. I could feel my cheek twitching in annoyance, could feel my claws itching to burst free and rip this helpless woman to shreds. But I do have _some_ self-control. So I just snarled at her to get out of my way and finished tying my obi. In the five minutes that took, I limited myself to just glaring at the cowering woman. But I didn't paint the walls of the locker-room red with her blood. See? Self-control.

When I was finally completely dressed, I gathered up my other clothing and shoes and placed them in the bag that the trembling woman handed to me. I slipped my feet into the geta sandals, not even bothering to put on the tabi socks. I hoped that the men would at least give me time to put the socks on before we walked back to the house, but if not, I'm sure I could ask Shanks or the Little Bastard to carry me back so I wouldn't have to slog through the snow. That decided, I quickly left the locker-room, fervently hoping that they hadn't left me behind. It had taken so long for me to get dressed (damn squeaky woman) that I wouldn't put it past the Little Bastard leaving me behind.

When I exited the locker-room, the first thing I noticed was Sora sitting on Eli's shoulders and talking into a Transponder Snail. Both of my boys looked pale and scared, instantly putting me on edge. Something had to have frightened them and hearing Sora say 'Doffy-Jii-Chan' only confirmed it. If they are freaked out by something and I am unable to help them, I taught the twins a list of people they are to call for help. First was the Old Fart, Garp. I may not like the man, but I trusted him to do the right thing and protect my children. If the Old Fart was too far away, or it was something they knew that he could not handle, the boys were supposed to call Vice-Captain Rayleigh at Shaky-San's bar. If he wasn't there, then—and only then—were they to call Doffy.

So this makes sense in this situation. If they had called the Old Fart, it would blow my cover, so he was out. Vice-Captain Rayleigh was training Luffy, so he obviously wouldn't be at Shaky-San's bar. So that left Doffy. But the only question I had was why on earth were they calling Doffy? What could have scared them so much that they used a strange Transponder Snail to call the Warlord—

My mind became peaceful, a strange calm that only filled my body when my Cat-Cat Fruit was thirsty for blood. Standing outside of the hot spring was Shanks. And draped across his arm like some kind of skanky cloak was a woman. My first instinct was to rip both of them to shreds, an instinct that ten years of being apart had done nothing to dull. But then the wind shifted, bringing the woman's scent right to my nose. And I felt my lips curl into a blood-thirsty grin. Oh, I definitely knew what had scared my boys. They thought that this woman was flirting with Shanks and my first action would be to kill them both. So Sora and Eli had called Doflamingo, knowing that he was probably the only one capable of stopping me.

So I had better stop Doflamingo from arriving before he blew my cover.

I ripped my gaze away from Shanks and the skank and stalked over to my sons. I grabbed the Snail from Sora and said, "Don't bother coming, Doffy. She's not flirting with him."

I hung up the Transponder Snail before Doflamingo had the chance to respond and turned my attention back to Shanks. Oh, yes, she wasn't flirting with him. She was trying to pull him close enough to her so that she could bite him and inject Shanks with a lethal amount of her venom. And while I loved killing women who dared flirt with my Shanks, I liked scaring those who threatened his life much more.

Much, much more.

* * *

Shanks could feel sweat start to drip down his spine, despite the cool air surrounding him. Why couldn't this Reniko-chan just take a hint and leave him alone? Shanks glanced over her head and back at the entrance to the hot springs, letting out a small sigh of relief that he didn't see Elle. Talking with that dick of a Warlord the other day had make Shanks realize that Elle's jealousy was extremely dangerous. And if she were to walk out of the hot springs to see Reniko-chan so close to him, Shanks wasn't sure if he would be able to stop her anger.

"Shanks," Reniko-chan purred, her voice not nearly as enticing as Elle's, "Why don't we go somewhere more—private?"

Shanks kept his easy smile and placed his hand on her bare hip, subtly trying to push her away from him. "As much as I would love to—" Shanks hated lying, but he couldn't bring himself to be anything but nice to the woman, "—I'm actually waiting for someone right now."

Reniko-chan just pushed herself closer to Shanks, rubbing her breasts against his arm. "Oh, c'mon, Shanks, I'm sure they won't miss you too much," she said, her voice going slightly husky as she batted her pale emerald eyes at him.

"I really am sorry," Shanks said, trying harder to push her away. Something, he didn't know what, made Shanks look up. He saw Elle staring at him, her face carefully blank. It was like back on his ship, her face blank while her golden-yellow eyes were cold. Shanks felt his heart start to race and his smile drop from his face. "Really, you need to let go, Reniko-chan. I'm not interested."

Reniko-chan laughed and wrapped herself even tighter around him. "Oh, don't lie to me, Shanks," she said. Shanks looked back at Elle just in time to see her vanish from view. "I know you want to—"

Elle suddenly appeared right behind Reniko-chan, halting her words. Elle's lips curled into a small smile, revealing teeth that had sharpened to fangs. Elle leaned down and whispered something into Reniko-chan's ear before standing up and ripping her arm away from Reniko-chan. Elle flung her hand down like a sword, the blood dripping from two of her fingers splattering and steaming on the fresh snow. The pupils of Reniko-chan's eyes became slitted, almost making them appear reptilian. Her lips curled into a snarl, canine teeth becoming longer and sharper than Elle's. Before Reniko-chan could do more than turn and snarl, Elle swung her body into a round-house kick. The heel of her sandal connected squarely with the two bleeding holes right below Reniko-chan's collarbone.

Reniko-chan went sailing several meters down the street, sending snow flying in all directions. No sooner had she stopped than Elle was standing right above her, having disappeared not long after she had kicked Reniko-chan. Elle lifted her foot and slammed it down onto Reniko, hitting the same spot she had just kicked. A loud cracking sound came, followed quickly by Reniko sinking down and snow flinging up around her. Reniko let out a sharp scream of pain, but managed to glare up at the smiling Cat Woman above her. Elle leaned down, resting her arm on her knee even as she dug her heel sharply into Reniko's wounds. Despite being several meters away from the woman, Shanks could clearly hear Elle as she spoke.

"Now, listen up, Bitch, as I only want to say this once," Elle snarled, despite the smile stretching across her face. "You're going to leave Shanks alone."

Reniko reached up and grabbed Elle's ankle, her lips moving into a pantomime of a smile. "What, are you scared of a little competition?" Her grin widened, much more of a showing of teeth than an actual smile. "Afraid he'll choose me over you?"

Elle laughed, the sound sending shivers down Shanks' spine. He assumed that was the sound a cat would make when she had a mouse trapped under her paw. "Oh, sweetie," Elle cooed, "You and I both know that you weren't flirting with Shanks. You were trying to kill him. And, besides, if you had been—" Elle's smile suddenly became savage, "—you'd already be in itty, bitty pieces."

Elle dug her foot deeper into Reniko's chest and the latter let out another sharp cry of pain. Elle's smile abruptly fell from her face, leaving nothing but hate behind. "If you try to kill someone who is mine again, I will not hesitate to rip you apart piece by piece," she said, her voice as cold as her yellow eyes.

Elle stood up straight and turned her back on Reniko. Elle leveled her gaze on Shanks and lifted her hand to her mouth. As she walked towards him, Elle started to lick the blood from her fingers. Shanks was unable to tear his gaze away from her, so her next movements shocked him enough that he took a step back. Her lips curled and a vicious snarl ripped from her throat. In one smooth movement, Elle turned and caught the hand that was arching towards her neck with razor-sharp claws. Elle through Reniko on the ground, face-first, still keeping a hold of her arm. Still snarling, Elle slammed her foot down on Reniko's shoulder and _yanked—_

Shanks blinked once, twice, three times before his mind fully comprehended what his eyes were seeing. Elle stood in the middle of the street, blood splashed across her face. Her hand was still loosely curled around Reniko's wrist. And Reniko's wrist was connected to her forearm, and her forearm was connected to her upper arm... But that was it. Blood dripped obscenely from the ragged edge of the severed limb, pooling at Elle's feet. Reniko rolled around on the ground, screaming as she clutched her shoulder where her arm had been attached.

Elle glared coolly down at the screaming woman and said, barely audible over the screams, "Consider this your second and final warning. Next time you try to attack me or mine, I will not stop until you are left in pieces no bigger than my thumbnail." Shanks felt the blood drain from his face, acutely aware of the fact that she had done just that to those Marines back at Marineford. Elle turned her head to the left and gave something a savage smile. She threw the severed arm and a dark person Shanks hadn't noticed caught the limb. "Put that on some ice and Master might just be kind enough to re-attach it."

Not waiting for the dark person, who seemed to be made of nothing but shadows, to answer, Elle turned and walked back towards Shanks. She stopped and arms-length in front of him, her golden eyes wary as they appraised him. It suddenly hit Shanks that she expected him to reject her after her little—display. But Shanks had seen Elle do much worse than this, with much less provocation. He had read about everything she had done as a Marine, both before and after she became known as the Benineko. And Shanks knew that Elle would—and could—do much, much worse if someone were to threaten her children—or him.

Shanks saw that she expected him to turn his back on her because she had shown just a hint of what she was truly capable of—Like he hadn't already known that she never makes threats, only promises.

So Shanks reached his hand out and gently cupped her cheek, brushing some blood away with his thumb. Giving his Kitten a small smile, Shanks leaned forward and kissed the top of her head.

Yes, Gol Elle could well and truly be a monster. But she was _his._ And nothing could ever change that.

* * *

 ** _A/N: I think this is the first time I've ever written about Elle fighting and/or acting like this, so I hope you guys liked it! Also, I_ know _this is the first time that Elle's surname is mentioned. I'll touch back on that later in the story, but, for now, know that it was totally intentional._**

 ** _Also, because you guys were so patient waiting for this chapter, I will be uploading a bonus chapter sometime pretty soon! So please look forward to that~!_**

 ** _I hope you guys loved this as much as I do!  
_**

 ** _~Shini_**


	21. Chapter 20 and a Half

_**A/N: This is just a little side story that happened immediately after the last chapter. It doesn't have much to do with the actual story, but it made me laugh and so I am sharing it with you guys! So it is short, but just consider it a stepping stone to the next chapter! Hope you like it as much as I do!**_

 _ **~Shini**_

* * *

Shanks waited for Elle to disappear back into the locker-room of the Hot Spring before he approached the open-mouthed boys standing just inside the building. The twins were as pale as the snow, their jaws almost hitting the floor. The young pirate had managed to close his gaping mouth, but his eyes were still wide as they regarded Shanks. He gave all three of them a wide grin before be sauntered up to the reception desk. The poor woman looked just as shocked as the boys, but had a layer of fear as well. Which wasn't too surprising.

The twins had grown up with Elle, so while they might not have witnessed her in action before, they certainly know exactly what she was capable of. And Shanks sincerely doubted that the pirate boy had seen Elle fight before, but his reputation as one of the Supernovas certainly proved that he was no stranger to bloody fights. But this poor woman was just a civilian and had probably not witnessed anything more than a drunken brawl or two. Shanks almost felt the need to tell the woman that what had just transpired wouldn't even be considered a warm-up for Elle, but decided against it. It didn't look like the woman's heart could take much more.

So Shanks casually asked for a damp cloth so that he could wipe the blood off of his hand, giving the woman his most innocent smile. She jumped at the chance to run off, almost tripping in her haste. Shanks chuckled and leaned his back against the counter so that he could observe the street. People were finally starting to go about their business, but were avoiding Shanks and the boyos like they had the plague. It had started snowing again, the white landing on the crimson stains from earlier. Shanks was aware that the younger pirate had joined him at the counter, but said nothing as he continued to people-watch.

Finally, the youngster couldn't take the silence anymore and asked, "Is it normal for you to get turned on watching Senpai like that?"

Shanks snapped his head in the bastard's direction, his eyes wide. Shanks had thought he had been subtle when he had reached his hand into his pocket to adjust his—ahem—member. Apparently not, as this kid had managed to catch him. Or not, Shanks amended upon scanning up and down the kid's body. Maybe the younger man only notice Shanks' reaction because his was the same. Shanks couldn't help but to laugh and clap the red-faced youth on the shoulder.

"I'll be honest with ya, kid," Shanks said, ignoring the other pirate's sudden scowl. "Seeing Kitten in action has almost always excited me to some point, as just watching her move is beautiful." The younger man nodded in agreement. "But this was the first time that I've gotten a full hard-on." Shanks laughed even louder and wiped a tear from his eye. "I was just as surprised as you are. I'm not exactly a young man and I thought she had emptied me fully yesterday."

The kid turned and scowled deeply at Shanks, opening his mouth to say something before he was interrupted by a set of much younger voices. "What do you mean by that, Old Man?"

Shanks and the younger pirate both jumped and looked down at the twins. Shanks certainly hadn't heard them approach and the younger man's reaction proved that he hadn't, either. Shanks felt a slight blush cross his cheeks as he silently wondered how much of their conversation the twins had heard.

"All of it," Sora said and Eli added, "So tell us what you meant."

Okay, maybe Shanks wasn't as good at keeping his thoughts silent as he thought. "Well, ah, boys," he said, desperately trying to think of something to say. He glanced at the other pirate, but he just smirked and held his hand up to his ear. Bastard. "What I mean, is—ah—it's something that you'll understand when you're older."

There. That should keep them from asking questions. Even though both of them were shooting him identical frowns. Then they glanced at each other, seemingly having a conversation that only they could hear. Sora and Eli frowned deeper at Shanks before wide grins spread across their faces. They glanced at the locker-room and quickly headed in that direction. Confused, Shanks glanced over and saw that Elle had just emerged. Her face was free from blood and she had let her hair fall loose, the pale waves falling well past her waist. She smiled widely at the boys and crouched down to get closer to them.

"Maaaaa!" both boys whined. "Shanks and Kid are saying pervy things about you!"

The men in question both turned to stone, their hearts freezing in their chests as those golden eyes snapped towards them. Up and down, she scanned both of their bodies before something weird happened. Elle turned red enough to make a tomato jealous and screeched, "What they hell are you telling my children?!"

With jerky movements, almost like puppets on tangled strings, both Shanks and the other pirate glanced down at themselves to see what could have upset Elle. At the same time, they both noticed that their earlier _excitement_ hadn't subsided. If anything, seeing Elle in that beautiful kimono with her hair framing her face had only fanned the flames of their desire. They both looked back at Elle to see that, while her face was still bright red, she looked angry.

"Oh, my god, you perverts!" she shouted before standing up. She placed on hand on the back of each of her sons and started ushering them out of the building. Shooting them one last glare over her shoulder, she added, "Gross perverts!"

Oops.


End file.
